Start, stop, continue

At one point or another, the majority of people find themselves in a situation they wish they weren’t in. Usually, this happens after a series of small decisions that slowly took the person off course. Rarely are these situations purposeful or an all-of-a-sudden type moment. For example, the top 3 major concerns of an individual in the general public typically surround: weight, finances and relationships. Each of these topics typically change over time from micro-decisions moment to moment. Aside from the the occasional “all-in” bet at the casino.

Personally, I believe that there are no magic pills or 1-hour seminars to that provide long-term sustainable fixes. The simple truth still stands: disciplined positive habits produce change. In other words, micro-decisions make up bigger decisions and those decisions lead to outcomes which over time add up to a result.

The good news is…

Depending on how you look at it, this could be GOOD news. Meaning, your current potentially not-so-great situation isn’t permanent! In this current moment you can start changing direction, slowly but surely to tilt the outcome in the opposite direction.

However, this also means, the work is never done! Meaning, for those trying to loose weight, if you started today to make small decisions toward your goal, eventually you would see 5lbs, 10lbs, 25lbs come off. Once you see your goal weight on the scale, that isn’t the ‘end’. Instead, it would need to become the new baseline to be maintained.

You got yourself in, you can get yourself out.

Start, stop, continue

Another key point to consider with this concept, is that in any life, there are behaviors, actions and habits all mixed in. A variety, if you will, which makes up you and your life. Within this variety, there are going to be things to change, some to stop all together, some to start and the good stuff that needs to be continued.

Exercise

As you’ve been reading along, you’ve probably identified a handful of things you would like to change about yourself. Or perhaps, you’ve started thinking back to your 2021 goals and resolutions. With these things in mind, list either one goal or one change you’d like to see come to fruition. Using the below template, write down ONE thing in each box.

Once you have your screenshot or paper filled out, display it in a place where you can see it frequently. Refer back to it at least once a day. Give yourself credit for the days where you hold yourself accountable. The days you don’t follow through, give yourself a break and start again the following.

If you have trouble following through more than 3 consecutive days, break each into a smaller increment. For example, if you have something like “start going to bed at 10pm” but you find yourself still staying up until midnight. Ease up a bit, and instead shift to, “go to bed between 10pm and 11pm”. The small difference will allow you to ‘win’ more often and gain positive momentum.

Use this in combination with the habit tracker exercise and you WILL see your daily life, eventually months start shifting more toward the life you’ve always wanted!