100 Days Challenge - Finished ... Yeah!

My personal 100 Days Challenge ended on Wednesday, September 1st. I practiced my challenge 83 days out of the 100, which feels pretty good. I had an 8-10 minutes morning ritual, which included strength and balance exercises. Those of you who've followed this challenge know that, as easy as it seemed to be, I struggled with it. However, I've learned a lot and I've gotten a lot out of it.

1) I'm sure I've said this before but it is important. I found out that it takes me a lot longer than 21 days to change a habit when it is replacing a old bad habit of long standing. I say this is important because I'm sure a lot of you have been frustrated when you work on a new habit and, after a few weeks or even a few months, all your work seems forgotten. Life gets in the way, it just seems too hard, etc. Well, it takes as long as it takes. I know that's little comfort but I encourage you not to give up. Find out for yourself what your personal timeline is when you are making changes in your life. Don't be discouraged by others who seem to be able to adopt new habits, drop bad habits or change their lives more quickly or easily than you do. We're all different and they may have struggles with other things in life that come easily to you.

2) I've learned that I play mind games with myself. Weeks into this challenge I was still trying to find ways to avoid doing it. Most days, 83 to be exact, I didn't let myself get away with it but it was almost always a problem. Some days it took me 30 minutes to get through because of my delaying tactics. I even made myself late a few times. Wouldn't it just have been easier to do it and get one with my day? There's no good reason for it. I guess it's just the way the mind works, my mind at least. Now that I know this about myself, my goal and intention is to keep pushing through it.

3) Good habits really can inspire more good habits. As much of a struggle as this small task seemed to be, during the last half of it I realized I was following healthier habits in other areas. I got back on track with working on healthy recipes, started eating more fresh fruits and vegetables and started walking more, even through the knee pain. I think as I began to feel the benefits of having more strength and better balance, I wanted to do more to get healthier. I didn't want to sabotage my own progress. What I find interesting is that I purposely did not make a list of habits to work on during this challenge. I committed to one thing as I've seen suggested in books and articles I've read and I found these things easier to do on a regular basis. Even so, I began making healthier changes. Oh, and I almost cut out fast food from my diet; I averaged about once a week during the challenge, as opposed to five or six times a week (my pre-challenge norm). This surprising change was good for my health and my wallet.

So what now? Well, I still need to work on this habit so I think I will add a bigger challenge to this one. I will build on it. I'm not sure what it will be but I will let you know. I'm going to take this week off, enjoy the long weekend and come up with my next 100 Days Challenge. I'll still do my excercises but I won't be keeping count. I hope you are challenging yourselves as well. You can do it!

Have a great weekend!

100 Days Challenge - Belief and Trust

Please Note: I started my 100 Days Challenge on May 25, 2010 but you can start any time. I hope you'll join me in working towards positive change. My original post on my 100 Days Challenge will explain what I am doing and how I chose my challenge.

Today is the 56th day, the end of the 8th week, of my challenge. I'm a little more than halfway through and I have practiced my new habit 47 days out of 56, a little less than six days out of seven. Not bad.

Well, I can say that I recommend this kind of challenge to anyone working to make changes in their life and struggling with it. Though this is still a challenge for me, -- no, because this is still challenge for me -- I am learning things about myself that I need to know.

I have learned about belief, my belief - or lack of - in myself and my ability to change. I have found that I do not believe I can make all of these changes for good in my life. Even though the proof is around me that change is possible; even though I know, intellectually, that I have not set my sights too high.

This was surprising to me. It came to me while working on my challenge. I had the thought that I would not improve my health, lose weight, etc. I can see improvement in my health and my strength since I started this challenge, even though it takes less than ten minutes out of my day. I've also been making other changes that will help me to achieve my goals. Yet, I still don't believe. What is this about?

It is about the past. I've worked to make change in the past. I've succeeded in making some changes and most people consider me successful but I have let myself down in many ways. So I have stopped believing. I no longer trust myself. there is a part of me that believes I will let myself down yet again.

Instead of feeling bad about this, I actually feel pretty good because I now understand something about myself that I didn't before. This is a problem I can work to solve. Trust has to be earned, even trust in self. I need to work to prove to myself that I can be trusted again, trusted to change my habits for the better and to actively and successfully pursue my goals. As I rebuild this trust in myself, I know I will rebuild the belief in myself as well. I'm feeling very grateful that I made this challenge 100 days; it really gives me time to prove to myself that I can stay committed and keep my word to myself.

To those who say, "the past is past, just leave it there", I envy you but I can't agree with you. Would you let someone into your home who had a habit of stealing something each time they visited you? Would you continue to patronize a gas station after you found out they had purposely mis-calibrated the gas meters in order to charge more? No, you probably wouldn't. You would use past behavior as your guide until the behavior changed and then you would use the new past behavior as a guide. That's what I do at least. Now I'm doing it to myself.

Sometimes the work comes before the inspiration.

Have you experienced anything like this? How did you or are you handling it?

I can do it! You can do it! We can do it!

100 Days Challenge - Making New Habits

Please Note: I started my 100 Days Challenge on May 25, 2010 but you can start any time. I hope you'll join me in working towards positive change. My original post on my 100 Days Challenge will explain what I am doing and how I chose my challenge.

Last night (Tuesday) was the end of the 35th day of my challenge. Five weeks and one thing I have learned for myself is that it DEFINITELY takes more than 21 days to develop a new habit. Out of the last 35 days, I've missed four, so I'm averaging a little more than six days out of seven, which is good. I am still struggling to make this a smooth part of my morning routine but there have been some discoveries and improvements.

I have discovered that once I get through the first step, the rest is routine. So, though I still struggle through the first step, once started I no longer struggle to complete my new morning routine. I sometimes change the sequence of my routine but I have decided to always do the same two actions first. I think I may be developing a positive trigger and I don't intend to mess with it.

I have noticed two key improvements: 1) My attitude about making changes and establishing good habits is better. I'm actually looking forward to tackling a new one -- yes, even though I'm still struggling with the first. I feel like I'm ready to take on more. Maybe I will start a new habit on day 51. 2) I'm feeling better in general. With just these few minutes in the morning (7 - 10) I have begun to feel stronger and my knee pain is minimal.

One thing that happened on one of the days I missed was that I completely forgot about the new routine. This was around day 23 or 24 and I got out of bed and went about my day. It was lunch time when I realized what had - or hadn't - happened. It took a lot not to get down on myself but I concentrated on the fact that I am making this change, I committed to it, and this one day did not change that.

My advice: If you miss a day or don't follow through on your challenge for a day, don't start over, keep going. Accept that the missed day is part of the process, not an excuse to quit.

I'd love to hear what your challenge is and how you are doing. Drop me a line.

I can do it! You can do it! We can do it!

Inspirational Quote ... habits, goals, and LIFE

"You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it."
Margaret Thatcher

100 Days Challenge - Creating New Habits

Please Note: I started my 100 Days Challenge on May 25, 2010 but you can start any time. I hope you'll join me in working towards positive change. My original post on my 100 Days Challenge will explain what I am doing and how I chose my challenge.

Today is day 14 of my personal challenge ... two weeks completed and I am still struggling to make this small change a habit in my life. Who knew that changing the first 10 to 15 minutes of my day could be so tough? Each morning I find myself struggling to get through my stretches and exercises even though I can feel the benefits already. My knee, which was troubling me almost daily, is beginning to feel better and stronger from the stabilizing exercises I do as part of my morning "habit."

Why is this small change such a challenge? I really looked at this for myself since what I have chosen would seem to be a much easier change than someone trying to quit smoking, follow a restrictive diet, sew every day, exercise one hour every day, etc. Am I really this weak willed? The answer I came up with is "NO!"

I am working to change a habit I've had since childhood. What? Yes, you read that correctly. Almost every morning of my life, I have gotten up at the last possible moment, whether the alarm goes off at 4:00 am or 9:00 am. No matter what time I have had to get up, I get up at the last possible moment to get ready for the day. As I have always been a night owl, even as a little girl, waking up has often been irksome to me and I do not consider myself a morning person.

In other words, I am trying to change behavior that I have practiced and reenforced for more than 25 years. When I look at it that way I realize that this IS a real challenge and that I should not condemn myself for how I am struggling with it.

It is amazing to me how I resist this challenge some mornings. I mean, this is only 10 to 15 minutes out of my day. Yet, I have found myself delaying and trying to find excuses for not doing it. I don't think this is about will power. I think this is an example of how the brain works and how it seeks to continue the activities and behaviors that have become habitual.

Stop being so hard on yourself! Be persistent! Be Positive!

(BTW - I'm talking to myself as well.)

The good news: I have only missed two days out of the fourteen, which I consider a good beginning.

I found a few articles on breaking bad habits that, I believe, offer good advice and insights:

"Breaking Bad Habits - The Habit of Negative Thinking" and "Breaking Bad Habits - 5 Simple Steps for Changing a Habit"

"Tips for Breaking Bad Habits and Developing Good Habits"

The bottom line is I just have to keep doing what I'm doing and not get frustrated. There are many habits I would like to break or change but I need to continue with this one and really make sure it is established as a habit before trying to work on the next one.

I can do it! You can do it! We can do it!

New Month, Same Goals ... Health and Fitness

My Health and Fitness Goals for June

I did pretty well in May, but not as well as I would have liked. However, I realize, in keeping with my 100 Day Challenge, that it is important for me to continue with these goal in order to develop them into habits.

So here are my goals for June plus my notes on how I did with them in May.

1) Stay Hydrated - (8 - 12 glasses of water per day) - I did really well on this. I've been working on it for a while and I'm now at the point where I don't really need to think about getting enough water ... unless I'm really stressed.

2) Get sufficient Fiber - (25gm - 30gm per day)- I did pretty well but I could have done better.

3) Eat in Moderation - (1800 calories or less per day)- Honestly, I did not very well on this. I averaged about 2,100-2,150 calories per day. This is still about 350-400 calories per day less than my usual but I need to work on this.

4) Get Moving - (Walk at least 10 miles per week)- My knee was bothering all month, which was very discouraging. I found it hard to walk more than a mile at a time. However, I did begin working on stabilizing exercises for the muscles around my knees and it has been feeling much better.

5) CIY - Cook It Yourself - (Learn at least two healthy recipes.) - I did learn one fast, healthy and easy soup recipe.

6) Take off the Weight - (Lose 2.5 lbs per week - 10 lbs in May)- I did lose a total of 5lbs this month. Though half of my goal, it is still a loss.

It this has been a graded test, I probably would have received a C- for the month. Thank goodness there are not grades, just personal accountability.

In the past, I would have gotten down on myself for not completing the goals I set for myself 100%. Of course, this has never helped me in the past so I need to change the behavior. In looking at how I did last month, I am choosing to concentrate on the positive things I did and what I did accomplish. It is the only way to move forward.

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.
George Bernard Shaw

I am choosing to change my mind and my life ... one step at a time.

I wish you all the best with you goals for the month ... the year ... your life.

Have a great May!

P.S. I would love to hear from you on how your are doing in your journeys to change your habits, your life ... your wardrobe. :)

Inspirational Quotes ... Habits

“First we form habits then they form us. Conquer your bad habits, or they’ll eventually conquer you.”

Dr. Rob Gilbert

Okay, that was more a warning but one that is good to keep in mind. Try this one ...

"Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow."

Doug Firebaugh

I think this one may be the best theme for the 100 Day Challenge.

We can do it!

100 Days Challenge ... Making Changes for Good

I hope some of you in cyberspace will join me in this challenge. Like many of you, I have been trying to change my life for more than half my life. Determination, "don't try, do it," the "light bulb" moment, Monday, to save my life, fill in the blank __________; I've tried and done so many things to change my life for the better. I have made some changes but not enough to really set myself on the path I want to be on in my life.

I have my month of May goals and I am still working on those. However, I've been reading a lot of about changing habits, making new habits and dropping bad habits and I realized that most of my efforts have not taken into account the way the mind works beyond the concept of "willpower."

I'm sure many of you have seen articles on changing or adopting habits. Recently, 21 days seems to be the magic number in the "how to change a habit" craze. That made no sense to me because I can and have followed many programs and dropped many bad habits for at least 21 days. So, I kept reading. And I found that, yes, you can change or adopt some habits in 21 days

but ...

and this is a big one ... what if you are trying to change a habit or replace a habit that you have been practicing for years? Well, I came to understand that habits can become ingrained in the mind and their triggers can as well. You may change a habit and feel you've overcome and still, days, weeks, or years later, you experience some trigger and it is as if you'd never made the change. Well, it turns out that, like most of our muscles, the brain has muscle memory, which is great when it is a good habit but not so great when it is a bad habit.

I encountered this during the past week and a half. I was doing very well, maintaining and practicing good habits. I was ready for whatever came next ... I thought. A sudden out of town trip, a family event and a small crisis at work were enough to derail me. Now what?

The 100 Days Challenge

Starting today through September 1, 2010, I want to do something to not only adopt new habits but also to thwart some of the triggers, which have derailed me in the past.

My Personal 100 Days Challenge -

For the next 100 days, I will spend the first 10 to 15 minutes of the day on me, doing a sequence of exercises and stretches to start my day off right. Even if I wake up late or if there are other things tugging at my time, I will spend these first minutes of the day changing old patterns and adopting new habits. If, and only if, I firmly establish this habit, will I add a new challenge, a new habit to adopt, break, or change.

My hope is that by changing the way I enter my day, I will avoid and suppress some of the triggers which have proved my undoing in the past. I know it may seem like a small thing but I wanted something I felt confident in committing to for the next one hundred days.

Okay, that's my personal 100 Days Challenge! What's yours?

It doesn't matter how small or how large. It doesn't matter what day you start. It doesn't matter what kind of change you make, as long as it is about making your life better: Health, Diet, Sewing, Family, Career, Beading, whatever you want to do. Just make a decision about what you want to change or what to want to add to you life and commit. This is about improving life and breaking habits that sabotage that goal. And, PLEASE, post a comment to let us know what you are doing and how you are doing as the time goes by.

I can do it! You can do it! We can do it!