What happens to your habits when the seasons change?
Have you noticed that when the seasons change, our habits also start to change? For instance, in January we often want to undo a lot of the heavy eating and drinking we did during the holiday season. We’re ready to get back to a more regular schedule, dial back our food and alcohol intake, and implement a movement routine. It's that whole new year, new you thinking. In the spring, we start to shed our winter clothes and as we bare more skin we realize summer is right around the corner and then it’s bathing suit season. As fall rolls around we start thinking about the holidays and how to stay on track with our habits.
We go from one season to the next adapting and changing our habits trying to be this perfect person with perfect habits. We run ourselves ragged doing things we don't enjoy because we think that will get us where we want to go and we are just desperate to see results. We neglect to look at some of the most basic things in our lives like how much sleep we are getting, what we are putting in our bodies, how overscheduled, overwhelmed, and stressed we are, and how we have few, if any, boundaries around us and our time.
The results may come, but they rarely stick around because we are creating an unrealistic picture of what healthy habits look like. It is a vicious cycle that we fall into from one season to the next. We try to hold ourselves to this ideal that doesn't really exist so we can overhaul our lives instead of trying to figure out little things we can do daily to create sustainable habits that work for us through all the seasons.
What would our life look like if we figured out what would work best for us in any season instead of comparing ourselves to that nonexistent ideal that keeps us stuck and feeling like we are lazy or unmotivated?
One of the most life-changing, but also most challenging tasks we have when we create habits is to figure out what works specifically for us. This is more often than not done through trial and error. And that is the hard part. We have to fail to find success, it’s part of the learning process.
When we see someone else having the success we want we try to mimic what they did to get to the same goal. What works for them will not necessarily work for you. But it could leave you frustrated and wanting to give up if it doesn’t work for you. The people you are mimicking aren’t doing it right or wrong, they’ve just found what works best for them.
This is where it helps to have a coach and also why I love coaching. Coaching is not one-size-fits-all. It meets you where you are and helps create habits that will actually work for you. We get to the bottom of why you want to make the change, create the smallest steps to get there, add consistency, accountability, and support, and you have the magic formula for success!
As one of my favorites, James Clear says, "I accumulated small but consistent habits that ultimately led to results that were unimaginable when I started."
When you create those small but consistent habits you begin to create a solid foundation. Once that foundation is strong you can start to layer new habits on top of it. By solidifying your original habit you understand the basic principles that help you create success. Each habit gets easier and easier to build because you already know the magic formula. It almost becomes automated, you know what to do without having to put too much energy into it. You also learn how to adapt and pivot as life changes. You have the skills and knowledge to get right back up and start again if you fall off track. Before you know it you have become this person who does all the things you always wanted to do. Seasonal shifts don’t matter as much because you know how to adapt and pivot your habits.
It all starts with that one small but consistent habit.
If you follow me on Instagram then you may have seen that I am opening my 1:1 coaching program to take 3 new clients in October. This is a perfect time to start coaching because you will be able to implement sustainable habits before the craziness of the holiday season sneaks in. Come January you won't feel like you need to reinvent yourself because you will already have established healthy habits that will last a lifetime. Even if you aren't perfect with your habits during the holidays you will have built a foundation that you can go back to at any time. Creating sustainable habits helps you learn how to adapt, change, grow, and pivot as life changes. That to me is everything, habits that work with you and whatever is happening in your life!
If you’re interested in talking more about coaching, just hit the button below to set up a 15-minute discovery call. This call is just to see if we are a good fit. No strings attached.