You know why I love greeting the New Year with much enthusiasm? Because it signals a fresh start injected with a zest and hope for a good year ahead. As you continue to learn and grow on how you can take better care of yourself, one thing that the pandemic revealed was the importance of prioritizing your health and well-being.
Beyond masks, social distancing, and proper handwashing, the best thing you can do for your health today is to incorporate more positive lifestyle habits into your routine.
Have you seen the various challenges pop up in your social media feed? A fitness challenge or a healthy eating challenge (such as Whole 30)? Or Team RWB Healthy Habits Challenge? – currently a part of this challenge and it’s not too late to join! The beginning of the year is the right time to harness your high sense of motivation. One that would make it possible for you to start and develop positive habits you desire.
There’s a catch though. You may have already experienced it yourself. That your motivation is limited and you can expect there will be days that you won’t be motivated to _________. You can fill in the blank. What will get you out the door to train for the 5K you set a goal to run this year? What will drive you to prep and cook vegetables for dinner? What will slow you down so you can mindfully appreciate the blessings of the day?
You can develop habits in a number of ways. I’ve already expressed before the value of a Wellness Vision. With one that’s written down, you make a commitment to work towards what you most value in your life. And I’m going to take a guess, your health and well-being is one area that you’d like to nurture, so you’re functioning at an optimal level. Full of vitality and vigor to do what you most enjoy.
Fogg Behavior Model
BJ Fogg, a behavior scientist at Stanford University, and the author of Tiny Habits, defines behavior with this simple and easy to remember model: B = MAP
“Behavior (B) happens when Motivation (M), Ability (A), and a Prompt (P) come together at the same moment.”
As you can see, motivation is part of behavior change. However, if you study this behavior model, you’ll learn that an effective way for a habit to become a part of your lifestyle is by making the behavior easy by starting small, hence ‘tiny habits’. Here’s a link to BJ Fogg explaining the Behavior Model with short videos to further give you insights to changing your behavior effectively – https://behaviormodel.org
Make 2021 a year that transforms your lifestyle. Have a fresh start with a focus on self-care! Learn to embed behaviors into your routine that creates a change not only for yourself but also in others. Because when you take care of yourself, your vessel overflows with energy to best serve others.
P.S. If you need a guide to help you write a Wellness Vision, I created one for you! ACCESS HERE
