As the light slowly creeps back into our days, let’s set an intention for the next several months.
Ancient people once thought of this whole month as a time reflection. The god Janus (who the month is named after) had two faces: one that looked back at what could be learned, and one to look forward at what is to come.
Looking back also provides a chance to celebrate what went well, and for ancient people that meant honoring their “victory over the forces of chaos” according to History.com. For the Egyptians that meant surviving the flooding of the Nile. For others it meant weathering the harsh winter freeze. For the Chinese it meant warding off evil spirits with lights, noise, and eventually fireworks (once gunpowder was invented).
Looking forward, it was a time to prepare for Spring and new life.
As you ease back into “reality” after the holiday season, it’s worth taking a moment this month to breathe, connect with your support people, and plan how you’ll navigate through the rest of 2023.
If you need direction, pick a healthy habit you want to incorporate this year. Having a goal provides focus and can help ground us throughout the year. Here are some quick tips on how to cement a new habit:
Keep it Simple. Distill the habit down to the first, easiest step, solidify that and then build from there. Think of every step along the way as nesting dolls, one step inside another and another and so on. For example, if you’re going to start a new exercise routine, what are all the aspects needed? Time, place, equipment, support people (we call this an “accountabili-buddy”), etc.. Break it down and set yourself up to win!
Piggyback and Stack. Make the steps part of already tried-and-true routines you have. If you already brush your teeth without thinking about it, add the first steps for your new habit to that. For example, let’s say you’re adding a morning yoga routine to your life, “after I brush my teeth, I will roll out my yoga mat to begin stretching.” Another example, put your vitamins next to your alarm clock with a glass of water. You already turn off your alarm, just add popping those healthy nutrition helpers right after you say, “yay! Today is a new day!”
Install Cues. Experts call these “triggers” that signal your brain to follow the plan you set in motion. Examples include reminders, pings, post-it notes, keeping the gym bag or yoga mat visible, scheduling on your calendar, setting an intention the night before or that morning, etc..
Reward. If a habit doesn’t have immediate, exciting benefits, it’s hard to keep it going. Make sure you plan for some enticing, instant reward so your brain feels like the work is worth the effort and you begin to crave doing what it takes to make the habit automatic.
James Clear who wrote Atomic Habits, making habit skills utterly accessible, frames it in simple behavior change language…
“The 1st law (Cue): Make it obvious.
The 2nd law (Craving): Make it attractive.
The 3rd law (Response): Make it easy.
The 4th law (Reward): Make it satisfying.”
“Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.” — James Clear
If a new you is in your resolutions, take a page from an expert’s playbook on how to get there and “cue” up some sound planning and satisfying rewards, and you’ll be very much on your way to success.
See you on The PATH Ahead,
Gillian and the VEHI PATH Team