I have a post planned for a recap of 2016 successes and a listing of 2017 goals but ya'll I am tired tonight. Most nights that is the case. But I thought I'd at least type up one of my first habit goals for 2017 and talk a little about it.
I want to run at least a mile a day, every day this year.
A mile isn't much. It doesn't take long. On a bad day it could take me twelve minutes. On a good day, less than 9. Maybe by the end of the year even less than 8. Basically, it isn't a big time commitment.
When I look at things I do daily, every day, without question or thought I come up with the usuals...brush my teeth, wash my face, feed the dog, etc. But then there is also walking the dog. This habit just started in December of 2015 after Magnus passed away. It became therapy for both myself and Jasmine. In the past 13 months we have missed maybe a total of 7 days, and that really a high end guess, of walking. Out of approximately 380 days we have walked approximately 373 of those days. At first it was a bit hard to figure out a routine. Now, it is like brushing my teeth. I know it is part of my day unless there is ice covering the road, the wind chill is stupid cold, or it is thundering. (The thundering is Jasmine's breaking point)
Another habit I have that I do automatically, and actually look forward to is my morning Advocare Spark. I take all my prescriptions and supplements with it and it is just as much of a habit to me as coffee is to other people. Without fail it is part of my every day. Even weekends. And when I run out of it there is no question I will re-order.
This year I also built in drinking at least a 20 oz. bottle of water while I'm at work every day. 20 oz. may not sound like much but at first it was difficult to even drink that at work. Now I finish it every day by noon. Again, it is just part of my morning routine. I make my Blender Bottle up with my 20 oz. of water. Before this habit I would find myself in the cafeteria buying a morning tea. I'm not sure I've spent more than $2 in the cafeteria this year. Funny thing about creating habits by the way...once you do, it is painful to go back to your old ways. The thought of going to the cafeteria to shell out $2 for a tea now makes me think "What am I crazy? Why would I spend that much on a tea?"
Working out is almost a daily activity for me as well. I usually have one or two rest days a week. However, my workouts vary a lot. Lately I've been going to the gym very consistently and I love it. I love weight lifting. But I know in order to make progress in running I need to run. So I schedule running into my week. Often it is too easy to make excuses or think "I've done so good at the gym this week maybe I'll just wait to run on Saturday and take tonight off."
So I thought "what do all my daily habits have in common?" They are all things I just do and don't think about. I don't give myself the choice to say "well I could drink my 20 oz. of water or today maybe I'll just drink Diet Coke." It's just not an option. If I choose to drink something in addition to my water that's ok...but I've got to finish my water. Usually I don't want to drink much else along with the water.
So why a mile a day? It's not a big time commitment. It is easily attainable. It's something easily added to my routine. And it's a small thing that can make a big impact to my life. While a mile a day may seem minimal, I know it will add up to big changes over time. That is the key to making life changes. Small changes made over time. I started running my first 2 days at 5mph. Today, I needed to get to the gym by a certain time to meet someone and that meant running between 5.5-6.0mph to get my mile done before I left. That's the other great thing about one mile...mentally telling yourself to run faster for a quarter mile is not overwhelming. I anticipate being able to run a much faster mile by the end of the year.
A few people have said "Why one mile, why not make it three miles a day?" That answer is easy. I will always have no excuse to make time for one mile. In approximately 7-12 minutes I can achieve a goal every day. And nothing makes you want to keep achieving your goals than hitting that mark and knowing you are doing exactly what you said you would do.
Consistency is key. It's not about resolutions to solve a problem. It's about habits to create long term results. We have the power to reinvent ourselves at any time. It doesn't need to be January 1st. That's the great thing about being an adult. We can do whatever the heck we want to do. I do like giving myself a sticker in my planner though every time I do something like run my mile or workout for the day. So I'm rewarding myself with stickers. Because I'm an adult and I'll do what I want.
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