Healthy Habits Challenge: Self-Discipline & No Excuses!

I can't believe that in six weeks we'll be at the end of August - - summer's end!  Only SIX WEEKS!!

Well, I don't know about you - but I plan to make the most of these next six weeks!  Did you know that behaviorists have learned that it takes somewhere between 30 to 66 days to form a habit - - a GOOD one or a BAD one?!

Usually I start a Healthy Loser Gal challenge at the beginning of the month but this challenge is going to be six weeks long and is all about self-discipline and creating great habits that will carry us into a fantastic, fit Fall! (And, too, hopefully then last a lifetime!)

Someday Isle...
I've been doing a lot of reading this summer and have really been enjoying learning self-improvement techniques and quick tips.  One book, "No Excuses: The Power of Self-Discipline!" by Brian Tracy, is really aimed at self-improvement for sales and business people, but the lessons I've learned have already helped in my daily life.  Brian Tracy talks about home many people live on "Someday Isle"... because they don't have the self-discipline to work toward their dreams now. This was me for soooo many years.  I would say "Well, someday I'll lose the weight..." or "someday I'll start to exercise again..." and "someday I'll stop watching t.v. every night and eating myself into a comatose state...".  Someday Isle... Someday I'll...

Until... one day... I finally left "Someday Isle" and began living in the present, believed in my goals and dreams, and - here's the kicker - got off my backside and developed self-discipline and then habits to work hard and achieve what I truly wanted:  to lose 100 pounds and get my 50 year old self fit again! : )

"If it's to be, it's up to me," Brian Tracy says.  How true!  No one else can walk fitness miles for me, no one else can plan my meals or stop me from overeating, no one else can accept a challenge for me and then see it through.  Those are steps I proudly, confidently take on my own.  Being confident is the key - - and remaining positive!

I want the next six weeks to be AWESOME!  Will you join me? : ) I want us all to ask ourselves this question:  "If my life were ideal, what would it look like?"  Get a really good picture in your mind, write it down and then answer this:
"What is the main discipline I need to achieve that picture?"

Once you've answered that question, you now have your focus for the next six week when - with self-discipline - we can form new behaviors and form HEALTHY HABITS!  (Thank you, Brian Tracy, for inspiring me to answer this question!)

I have many things I need to become more disciplined in but planning is the healthy habit I'm concentrating on for the next six weeks of Healthy Habits Challenge.  In many cross areas of my life, planning will make a tremendous difference.  It is great to be "spontaneous", but too much spontaneity can lead (in my case) to disorganization and chaos.  And chaos = disorder and that is never good!

The healthy habits I plan to gain in these next six weeks are:
1) Planning out my week and daily schedule with some weekend flexibility
2) Planning my weekly food
3) Packing my food every morning prior to leaving for work
4) Planning in my daily fitness
5) and finally, committing time (planning it in advance) to blog regularly and track my progress, find out how friends (that's you!) in the challenge are doing!

My week days are going to start an hour earlier to plan my day out, set my goal list, and do what I call my 'home fitness' which is usually walking, WiiFit or a DVD.  (It is summer and right now my home fitness is walking 95percent of the time!)

I'm starting the Healthy Habit Challenge tomorrow morning - heck! I've really started it today as I've written this.  I'd LOVE for you to join me in these next six weeks so we can share our accomplishments, encourage one another.  There truly is power in numbers and self-discipline is so key to achieving our dreams and goals! If we say we're  going to make a commitment to ourselves, let's DO IT!  No backing away... no excuses. We determine to do it - and darnitall - we do! :)

When we give in to that inner voice that urges us to do something other than what we'd planned to do, we lose a little bit of our conviction.  And then, if we continue to give in, the habit of 'giving in' becomes our reality and wins. Let's not let that happen any longer in our lives. This time, in the next six weeks, WE WIN!

It takes only six weeks to develop a habit - a HEALTHY HABIT - what is yours going to be? : )

Dream. Believe. Achieve!
Jan ~ Healthy Loser Gal

2 comments:

Carol Z July 18, 2011 at 12:12 AM  

Hi! Thank you for these challenges. I think this is the best yet. This is just what I need. I am in. No excuses.

HealthyLoserGal July 18, 2011 at 8:02 AM  

Yay! Awesome, Carol! :)