Story to share about habit change

THERE'S A HOLE IN MY SIDEWALK Autobiography in Five Short Chapters By Portia Nelson Chapter One I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost .... I am helpless. It isn't my fault. It takes forever to find a way out. Chapter Two I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I pretend that I don't see it. I fall in again. I can't believe I am in this same place. But, it isn't my fault. It still takes a long time to get out. Chapter Three I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I still fall in ... it's a habit ... but, my eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately. Chapter FourI walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it. Chapter Five I walk down another street.

Checking in

Dear Campers,

     

How are you today?  What a great blessing the rain has been today.  I have to tell you that it create perfect napping conditions for this girl and I enjoyed it so much.  Try to get in bed 30 minutes earlier tonight to ensure that you are well rested for tomorrow's workout.   Getting quality sleep is one of the best habits you can have.  Tomorrow will be the last day to get your T-shirt order placed, so be sure get with Martha at the sign in window.  I will see you dark and early tomorrow to share more mini victories.   

Blessings,

Amy

The Golden Rule

Dear Campers,

    

Great workout this morning!  I am so proud of each burpee I was able to complete and I hope you feel the same sense of accomplishment...it was stren-u-ous!   I just wanted to revisit the concept that I introduced to you this morning.

The Golden Rule of Change

1.  The cue (ex. - I am hungry) will always be the same.

2.  The process (ex. - I will eat an apple instead of a HoHo cake) has to change if you want a new loop to emerge.

3.  The reward (ex. - I am not hungry anymore) will always be the same. 

*In my opinion the reward is even greater when the desired process is accomplished.  It does not quantify this in the book, but I am taking the liberty to say that it does feel better to make new and healthier habits!   

 The ONLY thing that will break a bad habit loop is to change the process.  As I mentioned in workout this morning, maybe you need to take meal choices off the table in the beginning to help drive the new loop.  Establish a few "go to" meals to eat that do not require thought and simply create habitual behavior.  I know what my breakfast is going to be everyday without even thinking about it.  It's a habit.  If I start to "thinking" about it and put too many choices on the table, I get into trouble.   Maybe this new process will help you, I know it helps me.  

     

The habit loop has already transformed most campers at RBC.  Have you realized that RBC is now a habit for most of you?  The process happens when the alarm goes off at 4:25 you instantly get up, get dressed and get out the door.  When you change the process and stop to "think" about it, you end up hitting the snooze and skipping the workout.  Continue to explore the bad habits that you have and and the next time you find yourself saying, "I don't know why I do that," change the process and the reward will be fantastic.  I hope that your weekend is filled with family, friends and fun.  I will be praying for your safety, your strength and your success.  See you dark and early Monday.

Blessings,

Amy

Stren-u-ous

Dear Campers,

     

Congratulations on finishing such a strenuous workout this morning.  I am so proud of you.  I understand how hard it is to make new habits and to let go of old habits that have been holding in a pattern that has you stuck in a place where you do not want to be.  It was so much fun to celebrate so many "mini-victories" with you this morning.  

     

I would like to share our guiding scripture with you so that you can commit it to memory and draw strength from it when you need it.

Romans 12:12 - Do not conform to this world, but be transformed by the daily renewing of your mind.  

This is one of my favorite scriptures and is a reminder to me that I can get out of a rut if I use the right tools.  One of the most powerful tools is a surrounding yourself with a community of people that want the same changes.  A community creates belief that change is possible and sometimes knowing that there is even a possibility is enough to disrupt the habit loop.  In his book The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg writes, "Change occurs among other people.  It seems real when we can see it in other people's eyes.  Belief is easier when it occurs within a community."  We are so blessed to have such a fantastic group at RBC that wants to see the change in your eyes.  Keep your eyes on the prize and share your stories with the group.  We want to know what makes you tick.

     

The book that we are studying identifies a few particular things that are "keystone habits."  Keystone habits are those big habits that trickle into other habits in our lives.  I have identified three that I would like for you to focus on.

1.  Drink your water.  It's summer time in Texas.  Consume at least half your body weight in ounces of water each day.  Being hydrated will aid you in making healthier food choices and give your body the fluid it needs to function at peak performance.  

2.  Make your bed.  Bed making signals the brain that the sleep cycle is over and that you are ready to move through your day,   It creates order and encourages you to carry that orderly behavior throughout the rest of your day.

3.  Keep a food journal.  Research has shown that one of the keystone habits that changes unhealthy eating patterns is to log it somehow.  I am currently using the My Fitness Pal app and I would be happy for you to invite me to be your accountability community in this endeavor.  I already got one request this morning!  

     

Keep up the good work and begin to see your good habit loop beginning to shift from intentional to automatic.  Wouldn't it be great if eating healthy, exercising, and caring for our bodies was automatic and we didn't even have to think about it?  That's exactly what we want to happen.  We can and will make happen at RBC.  See you dark and early Friday.  

Strenuously,

Amy