NEW YEAR, NEW ME!
Raise your hand if you’ve ever said that to yourself…
*We slowly raise our hands. Been there, done that. Guilty as charged*
But becoming a new version of yourself likely requires introducing some new habits into your life. See, habits are the thing that can ACTUALLY transform you! Abstract concepts (like vision boards, for example) are great: they help you picture where you want to be. Eventually, one day. But habits are what’s actually going to get you there. Because the only thing we can truly control is our actions - not their outcomes.
In other words, do what needs to be done - and hope for the best.
What’s fun about habits is that you only need ONE to help jumpstart a chain reaction.
That’s right: in our experience, it’s practically impossible to start meditating, journaling, writing gratitudes, drinking 3L of water, working out, calling your mom, oh, and being a highly productive superstar at work and at home in the middle of it all! Chances are, you will only be able to do some, before you start crashing and burning. Skipping parts of it, then the whole thing. Judging and hating yourself for it. Wondering “Why can’t I just be better?!”, then deciding “I guess I’m not good/strong/passionate/committed/worthy enough to be that version of myself”.
Wrong. You are already everything you need to be. You just haven’t found the right approach!
We are film believers in the domino effect. Did you know a single domino is capable of bringing down another domino 50% larger than itself? And if you line them up in a row, each one 50% larger than the previous one. The 1st domino can be just 2 inches tall. The 57th? It will be as tall as the distance from Earth to the moon!
What does this teach us? If you want MASSIVE change, start small, but be consistent.
Here is how that can translate to healthy habits:
Let’s say your goal is to stretch on a regular basis. Start small: with 5 minutes a day, 5 days a week.
The next week, stretch 5 days a week, for 50% longer (7.5 minutes).
The following week, stretch 5 days a week, for 50% longer (11.25 minutes).
By week 7, you will be stretching for almost an hour. And by that point, you will have been at it for so long, it’s become a habit!
You can apply this to any other habit you want to develop - reading (just 5 minutes to start), eating healthy (just 1 more vegetable serving, or 1 less alcoholic drink). If at any point you start feeling overwhelmed, pause at that level for as long as you need. You can keep stretching for 10 minutes per day for the rest of your life, if you want to. But do check in with yourself regularly and ask the following question: "Is this what my ideal self would do? Is this the goal I wanted to reach?".
Remember, the key to big change is starting small, and being consistent! Start today with just one new habit, and see your life thrive and transform for years to come.
Zhana
Co-founder, FLEXSPACE STUDIOS
Queen of Backbends
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