Routines That Work (For YOU!)

My Secret to sticking with My Habits Is Simple

⏰Beep beep beep…*snooze*😴. ⏰Beep beep beep... *snooze*😴. 

This is what mornings have usually been like for me for a lot of my life. From constantly falling back to sleep in between my parents coming to try to wake me up for school (sorry, Mom and Dad!), to my college days when I started setting my clock 5 minutes early, then 10, then 15 as if the illusion of extra time would help me get up and out, to the current string of phone alarms I set for 6:30am, 6:35am, 6:45am… let’s just say, I have been a snooze button girl for most of my life!

I may set alarms, but truthfully I am rarely following through at the exact time when it comes to mornings, whether it’s for say,  the extra morning walk through the park or consistently doing a morning meditation. 

The exception? Knowing I HAVE to leave bed for work. Maybe I won't do it for myself alone, but I will do it when I commit to someone else!

This month I've been talking about Routine Reboot, and it brings me to the idea of determining what tools, processes, or accessories that allow  your own unique, individual operating system to thrive!

These days there is no shortage of fancy tech like trendy home workout equipment, smart watches, memberships, fitness and meal tracking apps, etc., all aimed at optimizing our health. Just open your phone and you are sure to see plenty of ads for products and programs making big promises.

It can feel overwhelming wading through all the options knowing which, if any, might be the best! Particularly when we are wanting to get back into a good routine or get started on a new chapter of our wellness journeys, the pressure to make the "right" choice might paralyze us into just procrastinating altogether!

But when I get asked for recommendations on what things work the best for me in sticking with my own habits, I often answer, there isn't just one perfect tool or secret I have to sticking with my daily movement. As far as I have experienced, it's a process of trial and error that allows us to gain valuable, useful information about what works best for us and what matters most to us.

So going back to my snooze button girl example, I know I'm very unlikely to wake up to get out of bed to workout in the morning. That being said, sweating first thing in the day really makes everything after feel so much better. So for the past several years, I have booked a Monday morning 8am client because it will help me to reliably show up for her… and for myself! Committing in advance to a specific day and time means I will actually show up, and adding that to the feeling of helping a client and supporting myself financially has kept me moving virtually every Monday morning.

Similarly, I have had little success with tracking my meals in  an app, but my system of meal prepping has been something that really works for me, especially with having a friend or partner to share the effort and food with! Even just knowing that my gym memberships are often under-utilized since I'd rather work out at home,  I keep weights and resistance bands in the corner of my living room so that I can strength train while I watch YouTube videos.

All of these systems and strategies have taken shape after spending plenty of time trying many different approaches, initially thinking I SHOULD be doing things the way that worked for someone else, but then realizing that it's MY life that my habits need to fit into!

So, when you think about what you want your wellness routine to look like starting this school year, what lessons from the past can you draw on?

Or if you're not sure where to start, what is just one practice, tool, habit, or strategy you are willing to try to gain more insight about yourself on?

These discoveries can be the building blocks of finding your own wellness operating system!

If knowing there is a community of other people to joyfully dance with is one way to get you moving, sign up for a class to join us. I'll commit to meeting you on the dance floor or on the screen!

Keep moving! 

xx,

Katie