When I began exercising again, I kept reminding myself of that old saw that says, “It takes two weeks to establish a new habit.” Two weeks can feel like forever, though, when you’re trying to break a bad habit (not exercising) and establish a new one (exercising regularly). The problems become how to make it consistently through that two weeks until the habit is established, and how to protect that new habit from dying on the vine
I looked at all the resources I had available to me: Me, my son, my husband, my friends, my colleagues. Who would most consistently encourage me and help me establish my new habit? I needed a coach and I needed this person to be persistent yet empathetic.
Before I tell you who I enlisted as an assistant to help me establish my new habit, take a minute to think about who you have available to support you. What qualities does your coach need to possess? How available is the person to provide ongoing prodding and encouragement?
For me, I decided to pick our son as my coach and the person who would help me establish my new exercise habit. One of his major character traits is persistence (which can be annoying in some circumstances but was perfect for this assignment). He is also a very active person, which means I wouldn’t have to motivate him to exercise before he could motivate me. Finally, he has the perfect blend of empathy and sternness that I needed to keep me from slacking off “just this once.” Although I love my husband dearly, I’ve learned over time that his helpful reminders about food and exercise only annoy me (my problem, not his). I decided to keep him out of the whole event.
Did my strategy work? You bet it did. I have a strong habit of working out six days a week, first thing in the morning before anything else interrupts. Now, it’s just like getting up and eating breakfast–I wouldn’t dream of missing it. It’s a great way for me and my son to begin our day. Another great thing is that it makes it easier for our son to concentrate on his school work because he’s gotten some of the willies out first thing in the morning.
Now, I strive to simply protect the habit that I so carefully built up. How? By scheduling it on my planner as the first item each day (ok, I really like checking off the boxes on my planner LOL), by continuing to hear our son say, “Ready to work out mom!”, and by just doing it whether I feel like it or not. Amazingly, once I get started, the workout just flows and before I know it I’m done.
Oh yeah, the best motivation has been that I’ve lost 3 sizes and receive so many compliments. I’ve even been able to motivate people around me to take action on their own health, and I didn’t even know I was motivating them.
I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone. Pick someone to support your effort to establish an exercise habit. Then, just do it!
Blessings,
Cindy
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