I Can Do This

One thing I learned from The Power of Habit is that in order to change a habit, you have to understand it.  What is the cue that triggers the habit, and what is the reward that the habit provides?  So much of what I do every day is just automatic, I do feel that I am cruising through most of my life on autopilot.  In order to be more fully engaged in my world, I have to start to recognize those "autopilot" moments, especially those that have a negative impact.

The more I start to think about my habits, and where I can improve them, the more overwhelmed I get.  There are so many things I do in a day, for work, for school, for my kids, for my husband...when I think about trying to do a complete overhaul, I become paralyzed with exhaustion.  This has always been the case, which is why I'm here in the first place.

Instead of thinking about all of the things I do "wrong" in a day, this time I am going to start small, and recognize that, for me, there is no one magic "reset button" that will erase all my bad habits and lethargy with vim and vigor.  Instead, I am going to focus on two habits that I want to change, and go from there.

Habit #1:  The Snooze Button

My alarm is set for 5:25am.  For a long time, months even, I actually got up out of bed immediately when it went off.  The extra time in the morning allowed me to blowdry and straighten my hair and apply some makeup before descending into the craziness of my family's morning: serving breakfasts, making lunches, power struggles with my 3 year old daughter about getting dressed, searching my 6 year old's backpack for hidden contraband.  Getting up at the sound of my alarm helped me to set aside some time for myself amid the chaos, making me feel more put together and ready for my day instead of like a frazzled mess with wet hair stuck in a ponytail and toothpaste dribbles on the front of my sweater.

And then we had to "Spring Forward".  That first "Spring Forward" Monday morning, I couldn't bear to open my eyes at the sound of the alarm clock.  I hit snooze instead.  Then I hit snooze again.  I hit snooze until it was past 6am, and I absolutely had to get up, or be late for work.  It felt so good, I did it the next morning, and the next, and the next.  Now, even though my alarm is still set virtuously to 5:25am, I always hit snooze, and live with my wet hair.

The first habit I am committed to changing is hitting the snooze button on my day.  I would like to get up at 5:25.  This is something I know I can do, because I've done it before.  I am going to get up every morning at the first sound of my alarm, and instead of snoozing, I am going to head downstairs to do 10 minutes of exercise before I climb in the shower to start my day.  I know 10 minutes doesn't sound like a lot, but if I can do 10 minutes of activity instead of 10 minutes of sleeping, I will have accomplished my first small goal.

Habit #2: DP

Not long ago, someone in my acquaintance mentioned in conversation that "Soda is soon going to be considered the new crack."  I didn't respond at the time, but I certainly had plenty of commentary in my head.

I'm a soda drinker.  My drug of choice is Diet Pepsi, which my husband and I lovingly refer to as "DP".  I've tried to give up soda in the past, only to find myself beset with caffeine headaches and crankypants syndrome.  In the end, I've always gone crawling back to soda, and in the back of my mind, I've always known I would.

However, as much as I resented my soda habit being compared to that of a crack addict, the reality is I know soda is really not good: full of empty calories and additives.  There's a reason my children are not allowed to have it!  While I do crave the caffeine fix I get from an afternoon soda, there's really nothing that I get from it that's not purely psychological. 

The second small habit I'm committed to change is to give up on my daily DP.  I will save money, save calories, and give myself another small win in my quest to change my habits.

So there you go.  Two small changes in my life, neither one so overwhelming that I will be completely at a loss, both which will improve my overall health.  Ican do this.  I can do this.

I can do this.