After reading many texts on the force of habit including The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and Mini-Habits by Stephen Guise, just to name two; I decided to commit to an ongoing challenge. There are many habits I struggle to sustain, with intermittent and somewhat sporadic success. Sometimes I do yoga for 7 hours a week, and other weeks I only barely get done the four hours of teaching yoga I am committed to each week. Needless to say, my habits were lacking momentum, luster, vibrancy and commitment. I was in need of an upgrade. Therefore, I designed the 1-minute habit challenge. Commit to 5-10 habits you would like to start, but only commit to doing them for one minute everyday. It will take less than 15 minutes including transition time. Why one minute? Because there is no way you can talk yourself out of doing one minute of a habit. You might do the elliptical in your jeans and your yoga in your dress clothes but you won't talk yourself out of just one minute of something. And if you've read anything on habit formation, you know that the force of a habit is quite strong. About 40% of the average person's day is made up of repeated actions (habits). So if you are likely to repeat something you did yesterday, why not make that habit exercise or flossing?
I wanted to start this habit challenge because I found myself scrolling through social media too much, especially in the morning; and generally procrastinating all of the things I loved to do because I was convinced I didn't have the energy or time. However, what I truly lacked was overcoming the impediment to start. To begin an activity often takes a certain amount of gumption and fortitude. An "I can do this!"-type-of-attitude. Sometimes it will involved changing locations (from office to workout room), or a change of clothes (from dress clothes to painting clothes), or a change of gears (from processing the "to do" list to reflective prayer practices). These obstacles to starting a habit in the moment can be quite obtuse when trying to overcome them. A little like hoping over a high fence in your fourth decade with a little tire tube around your midsection. Let's face it, when confronting habit formation we are less than nimble and have a tendency toward stagnation. (No judgment on people in their fourth decade - I am one of them.) Therefore, I designed the 1-minute habit formation challenge. Pick 5-10 habits you would like to complete each day. I chose reading in English, Spanish, and French, praying, doing yoga, going on the elliptical, flossing, lifting weights (I have a set at home), journaling and drawing. These were all areas I felt like my commitment was sporadic and sour - a little like Swiss cheese. I wanted vibrancy. And I can say, after only 5 days, that I think I got it figured out! My habits, although only 10 one-minute habits, usually take 2-3 hours for me to complete. This happens because I may read in English and French for only a minute, but when I pick up the Spanish book I may find a really interesting section and get "stuck" in it for about 15 minutes. Today I journaled for 1 minute, quickly tucking my notebook away on its shelf, but found myself relishing my rosary practice for 20 minutes and my yoga practice for 30 minutes. The trick is to NEVER hope for more than one minute. You may realize you'll likely do more than one minute but never say, "I'm going to do the elliptical for 5 minutes." Just stick to the one minute and be up for whatever happens. I mean let's be honest, if I committed to 1-2 hours of each habit everyday, I wouldn't have time to eat, work, shower or sleep. So I guess I have unrealistic habit goals. As it is, it usually takes me ALL day to just get the 10 one-minute habits done (spread out over time). And I don't beat myself up if I really need to cut it short and go to bed. After all, sleep is key to good health - more so than healthy habits like drawing and journaling. The key is low barriers to entry and no judgment. Create the force of a habit and see where you are in a week....So what should happen after a week? Well you go to TWO minutes! Then the next week three minutes and up the time until you have reached your goals or your habits have a force of their own. I will be updating this blog to let you know how I do after a few weeks. So I'll be back in a few weeks, but for now, I'm going to draw for one minute! Seeking & Sharing Wisdom, Betty Lynn
1 Comment
Christine
10/20/2019 07:05:35 pm
I like it ! I will make my list tomorrow as I am off from work . Let you know how I make out
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AuthorBetty Lynn is an writer, educator, artist, illustrator and yoga teacher living in the suburbs of New York City. Archives
October 2019
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