Sallyacious

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May 31, 2007

Force of Habit

I've discovered something about myself over the years. If I can get one behavior to become a habit, I can then focus on another life change without dropping the first. Instead of trying to change my life all at once, I change it a little at a time, focusing on one shift before I begin another. It seems to be working.

For example. Last summer I decided to train myself to empty the dishwasher every morning first thing, and to put the dirty morning dishes in it right away. That's been part of my morning routine ever since. I've only missed it on a few days when I had to be at school at 8am (or something equally hideous) and just got out of bed and went. Otherwise, the dishwasher gets emptied while I make the coffee. Then I can just put the dirty dishes in all day, rather than piling them up in the kitchen until I don't want to face them any more.

Or, take a dietary habit. Also last summer, I started making smoothies for breakfast. Not smoothie-smoothies, because I can't have yogurt, but shakes made with fresh or frozen fruit, chocolate soy milk, soy powder and coffee. They're really tasty (pay no attention to what Dave says about them, he has no idea), and they're tremendously good for me and not that many calories. Today's shake, for instance, had 3/4c strawberries, 3/4c blackberries, 1c raspberries, 1/2c blueberries, 25g soy powder, 1c chocolate Silk, 1.5c coffee, a small kiwi and half a small banana. It was less than 500 calories and sooooooo good. And all of it was good for me. (Well, except the coffee, but that cup and 1/2 is most likely all the coffee I'll have today.)

We used to go out for breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays, but that got tossed out the window during this last, very busy semester when Dave and I hardly saw each other. Since I've really got in the habit of the breakfast smoothies, though, I notice I don't feel as well if I have something else for breakfast. Like eggs or a scone or something. I just feel better if I start my day off with a smoothie.

And now that's shifted into lunch. I've started trying to eat healthier lunches just because I feel better if I do that too. If I can, I have something with lots of fresh veggies on it. (Though it's tough to do a healthy lunch during the semester just because I'm usually at school and must eat something NOW by the time I get out of class.) The point is, I'm trying to make that my next habit.

These all seem like silly examples, I know. Tedious, small, boring. But they're working for me. I now also have the habit of writing for 45 minutes every morning. By hand, in books I've made myself. I started April 1st, and except for a couple of days when life was just too crazy (like when I had to administer a final at 8:30am) and when we were traveling this weekend, I haven't missed a morning. I did write one morning while we were gone. I hiked myself down to the nearest open Starbucks and wrote for an hour. The other morning, I was trying to write in a much busier Starbucks, we had a deadline and I was trying to not bug Dave, so it didn't work out as well and I only got about a page down before I gave up. And then I was cranky all day.

The point is, I feel better all day if I have my morning smoothie. And if I write first thing. Both those activities set me up for the day and after that, I'm raring to go. I've managed to find habits that work for me, that are healthy. I'm trying to get into a couple of other habits now, like going to the gym. And working in the yard. Though those are harder for some reason. I suppose because they're more flexible. I like flexibility, I think it's a good thing. But it's easier to sit down and drink my smoothie while writing in my notebook first thing in the morning than it is to put on gardening or workout clothes and get together all the stuff I need to work. I have been to the gym three times in the last week, though. And I was able to do more than I thought I'd be up for. I guess that's something.

The main new habit I'm trying to cultivate, however, is yoga. I love yoga. I always feel so good after a workout. But the yoga class offered during the summer is at 6:15 am. Which means getting my butt out of bed at 5:45 in order to be dressed and there on time. Currently, my body is gradually working its way back to waking up at 8am. Because that's what it likes to do best. I spent the semester getting up at 7:30, and then, once I began writing, 7. And my body tolerated it. But really, it likes to get up at 8 and has for years. So now, I have to try to get it up two hours earlier, just to do yoga. So far, it hasn't cooperated. Then again, I haven't changed the alarm from 7am to 5:45, either. I have bought granola bars, though. So I can eat on the way to the gym. I can still have my smoothie and do my writing after yoga.

Baby steps. Little habits. One change at a time.

Posted by sally at May 31, 2007 09:37 AM

Comments

Posted by: fire4hairlady at May 31, 2007 06:21 PM

Posted by: Sallyacious at June 1, 2007 09:35 AM

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