The Power of a Habit

You probably noticed by now I have a slight love for learning & books. I’m very much a “read today what my soul needs” kinda girl that rarely feels the need to finish a book cover to cover to feel accomplished. Honestly it’s doing book reviews on youtube that has caused me to create the habit of a book finisher lol!

Now why have I spent countless hours in the past week rearranging & redesigning my office space ... in addition to purchasing an unlimited Club Pilates membership in spite of the free membership I have to a great gym?

Literally 1 week ago I left Iowa at 4:30AM Texas bound after a fast 25 hours with family. I was determined to completely listen to a new audible read I had just purchased ... The Power of a Habit! Now full disclosure here ... I’m not a fan of the reader’s voice ... and obviously I was exhausted ... so the fact that I KEPT listening on this 11 turned 13 hour drive is a testament alone to how SERIOUSLY impactful it is.

I’m not here to unload the entire book to you ... but what I will say is this ...

What cues in your life are creating what outcomes? 

Are you lacking rewards & success in certain areas of your life & you aren’t quite sure why?

What NEW cues (aka triggers that cause you to do stuff from habit NOT will) could you create today to increase the likelihood of success in this area tomorrow? 

For me two major things stuck out as I drove down the Kansas Turnpike ...

1. Son of a gun. No WONDER I’m still in my pajamas at 2 in the afternoon! Previously I had a SET routine. I put my pajamas on before bed & I lay out the next day’s workout attire ... set the alarm ... and close my eyes precisely 7.5 hours before my alarm will go off giving me exactly 20 minutes to throw on my workout clothes & run into class the next morning. (Yes my friends I know that my perfect rem cycle is 7.5 hours). 

... why did I stop? 

... I started having hormone issues & it was suggested I not do high impact workouts ... but we set serious financial goals at the beginning of the year so getting a $200 monthly Pilates membership would put a little wrench in the 2018 financial freedom plan. See my conflict of health & financial goals?! Until I realized I’m LOSING like $200 a dang DAY because not working out took away my cue to come home ... shower ... get dressed & get OUT of the house to make big friggin things HAPPEN!

2. DAMNNNNNIT. I totally forgot the other half of the “important biz goals to track” are BEHIND MY DOOR & no wonder I want to sleep or Netflix every time I sit down to read ... I’ve got the WRONG CUES.

... the direction of my desk ... the placement of my dry erase boards & bookshelves ... the spaces I had to read ... everything about it was ALL WRONG in order to create the correct CUE that would trigger the correct habit to achieve the goals I desire. About 4% of our day can come from inner will ... the rest is up to habits & hoping we’ve made great ones!

... so a week later ... lots of moving hunting & rearranging later ... my entire office is a new layout dry erase boards on the walls & all in order to make sure I’m seeing ALL I need to see to accomplish ALL of my goals all month ... and I’m no longer sitting on the couch or bed to read & instead of reading finding myself 3 episodes deep in a new Netflix series LOL!

In summary ... get the book ... download the audible ... whatever you do ... this is going to be one of THOSE books like I have in every version & routinely revisit for a lil life tuneup ;) happy reading my friends!