It’s the start of a new year, and it’s typically a time when people talk about New Year’s resolutions and commit to changing habits they have identified no longer serve them. Unfortunately, our commitments don’t stick, and if we can maintain the changes we talked about in January in March, we did better than most. That’s the thing with habits; we know the ones that don’t serve us, yet we can’t bring ourselves to make a change.
The truth is that habits don’t get that way overnight. It takes some serious time doing something for it to be embedded in our operating system. We must understand that this won’t happen overnight when we decide to change our programming. The habits were more than likely developed subconsciously. Deprogramming habits take serious effort. You’re challenging yourself to go against what’s comfortable, what feels normal. It’s a lot easier said than done!
I like to challenge myself sometimes and use my non-dominant arm or leg to do something to change things up. It always feels awkward, and when I do this while exercising, I’m often tempted to do the motion the way I’m used to. Although I’m tempted, I tend to stick with the plan because of the feeling I get when I do it.
I believe it’s important to remind ourselves of the reason why we want to make the changes. We obviously identified that there are changes we can make that will positively impact our lives. We must accept that change isn’t always easy, and we can’t always go “cold turkey.” Regardless of the changes we want to make, sometimes we need help to get us there. Sometimes, we will need a push to keep us on the track we’ve chosen to head down.
They say it takes 30 days to consistently do something for it to become a habit. I think it’s important to remember that it’s not just about the action you’re taking but shifting the mindset from thinking I have to and choose to think I want to and focusing on the outcome. Change isn’t always easy, but it’s necessary for our growth, and when it happens, we often wonder what took us so long to do it!
Are you ready to make significant changes in your life for 2024? Share them in the comments and keep yourself accountable! ♥