Twenty-one days

Most folks have heard it takes 21 days to form a new habit. Unfortunately, it turns out that’s actually a myth. But tomorrow is the 21st day of January and I wonder how many folks are sticking with their New Year’s resolutions?

I hope you all are going strong and crushing your goals so far. But I know there are probably a lot of folks struggling. Committing to making yourself a better person is not an easy task. So I wanted to share some of my own tricks for making it easier.

Start small

You may be tempted to try something outrageous. But odds are you’re not going to win a marathon, or lose 50 pounds, or master the piano/sculpting/coding/marksmanship/insert-whatever-hobby-you-like-here in 30 days. And by setting the bar so high, you may be setting yourself up for failure.

When I began running, I knew myself well enough to know I have the tendency to do exactly that. So I found the C25k app and committed to following its plan no matter how badly I wanted to do more. It was pretty frustrating going out and only running for 60 seconds to begin with (even though I could barely do even that!), but I stuck with the process and it worked.

Find support

A little bit of encouragement goes a long way. A simple “looking good!” or “way to go!” can really lift your mood. If you can’t find support in real life, I’m sure you can find it on the internet.

I didn’t have many fitness-minded friends when I started, but I’ve met so many over the web. It’s been a huge source of cheer the past two years. No matter what you’re trying to do, I’m sure there’s a group out there for it. Join the challenges which Healthy Nevada hosts, they just started their Movin’ and Losin’ Challenge this past week.

Remember why you started

Business coach Tom Bartow says forming habits has three phases: the honeymoon, the fight thru and second nature. He describes the honeymoon phase as that period when everything seems so easy, just like a honeymoon. Then comes the fight thru, where folks struggle.

When that struggle comes, take a break and think about what motived you to begin with. Also, I find my motivation has to be framed in a positive manner.

My primary motives, to begin with, were negative, my doctor told me I had to lose weight. I came to understand that wasn’t a sustainable way for me to continue. So I learned to rephrase those motives. Instead of “I don’t want to be unhealthy” it became “I want to be healthy.”

If you stick with it and fight through the struggles. One day you’ll realize you can no longer imagine your life without your new habit.

When I wake up, I go for a run. Six days a week. The struggle is no longer (usually) “I don’t wanna go!” The struggle now is “I’ve got a meeting at 11, am I going to have to cut my run short this morning?”

The days I am prevented from my following my normal routine are not fun days for me.

I think this is Bartow’s third phase, second nature. I cannot imagine my life without this sport.

I hope you all can find the motivation and encouragement to make yourselves the best you can be.