You live in a world with a perpetual to-do list. People need your attention. Things need your attention. And in between it all you need to make time to take care of yourself. Or risk burnout.
The way to make this easier on yourself is to form better habits.
Get into the habit of eating well, training, meditating, reading, or [insert any other good habit here]. Why? Because habits occur automatically.
They are scripts that our mind run. It saves mental energy and reduces the amount of decisions you have to make.
So how do we programme these habits into our life?
Well, not in 21 days. Habit formation varies based on the individual. If you want to dive deep into habits, I recommend you check out the work of BJ Fogg and Charles Duhigg. They have been great influences in the way I view habit formation.
Essentially, your attack plan is to create a new habit by starting small. Dr Fogg says that if you want to get in the habit of flossing your teeth every night. Then start by flossing only one tooth.
The simple act of doing this causes a ripple effect, not only in the way you view yourself but in other behaviours.
You start seeing yourself as someone who is taking active steps towards a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, you will also want to improve other behaviours that will facilitate this image you hold of yourself.
When you have created the pattern of flossing every night, at a certain time, the leap to flossing all your teeth will be much smaller than if you tried to do that from the start.
How can you apply this to your life?
Don’t try and implement 10 different habits in one go. Choose one and put a stake in the ground. It is admirable that you want to quit smoking while at the same time improving your diet and starting a new exercise regime.
But the truth is that you are setting yourself up for failure. Focus on one thing. Then focus on the tiniest action that you can.
Want to get into the habit of training?
Set a time in the day, and do one set of bodyweight squats. Do it for a week. Then add a set of push-ups. Do it for a week. Then add a set of sit ups. You get the idea.
It seems trivial. But this is your best bet when you are busy and time is of the essence.
Eventually you will move on to bigger exercises, hopefully finding the time to use some equipment. Whether that be at home or at the gym.
Be realistic
If you are reading this, then it is because you are strapped for time. It means that you are not aiming to be a bodybuilder, or flash a six-pack all year around, or be a master meditator.
It means that you have recognised the importance of looking after your body and mind during your pursuit of excellence and success.
Creating small habits and taking action will help you do more for your wellbeing than you currently are.
Inaction in your business will lead to failure. Inaction in maintaining your body and mind will do the same.Is that a price you are willing to pay?