Weekly Ponderings #8: whatever you repeat, you enforce
This day, last year, I got married to Brian Manning at the Inn at Manchester ❤️. We're back in Manchester, VT this weekend celebrating our anniversary, and once again, it delivered.
We LOVE this town so freaking much. We visited for the first time when searching for a wedding venue a couple years ago, and have returned multiple times a year since. If you live in or near New England (it's only 4 hrs from NYC), I highly recommend visiting for a long weekend.
Email me if you want recommendations!
We LOVE this town so freaking much. We visited for the first time when searching for a wedding venue a couple years ago, and have returned multiple times a year since. If you live in or near New England (it's only 4 hrs from NYC), I highly recommend visiting for a long weekend.
Email me if you want recommendations!
HABITS
When it comes to learning about habits, I always refer to James Clear. He wrote the book Atomic Habits (highly recommend), has this blog where he writes all things habits (tips and strategies to build or break them), and has this weekly 3-2-1 newsletter that I love (3 ideas, 2 quotes, 1 question: subscribe here). The above quote came from his newsletter this week, and he's SO right.
If whatever we repeat, we reinforce, let's focus on the good stuff.
Here are 3 of my favorite habit forming tips:
1. Make it convenient (or inconvenient if trying to break). The key is making it as easy as possible for you to get started.
Want to work out more? Make sure your workout clothes and shoes are easily accessible -- make them visible even! Give them a special place in your closet that makes grabbing them super easy.
Want to drink more water? Fill up your water bottle every morning and have it on your desk. Bring it with you to meetings.
Want to wear more jewelry? Keep them displayed on your counter. Don't tuck them away into a drawer where you never seem them.
Making it inconvenient is great strategy to break undesirable habits too.
Want to spend less time on Instagram before you sleep? Keep your phone outside your bedroom.
Want to spend less time on social media in general? Rearrange all the social apps randomly so you don't know where to find them (my friend tried this one and it worked!).
2. Stack your new habit onto an existing one.
Use your existing habit as the cue to start your new one. For example, if you make coffee every morning no fail, you could use that as your existing habit / cue to start your next one. While you make your coffee, you also drink a big cup of water.
Want to start journaling every day? Stack it on top of drinking your coffee. Every time you drink your coffee in the morning, you journal.
3. Schedule it.
This one is pretty straightforward. For those who do better with accountability, schedule it with someone.
Add it to your calendar. Create a silent alarm on your phone with your habit written as the label. Create reminders for yourself in slack. Sign up for the exercise class (use the MINDBODY app for easy sign ups). Do it with a friend for extra accountability. Schedule the habit to do on your own, but have an accountability partner to check-in with every day. Get creative :).
Have a favorite habit strategy of your own? Let me know what it is and I'll share it with my community!
Hope these tips help you get started!
Jess