The best way to keep a habit going

Last week we hit 80 degrees and this week we're back into the 40's.

Despite the fridged weather, I look at my calendar and realize that summer is fast approaching.

(Almost) every year, I run a 5k with my family on July 4th.

For many years, I would start training for it in February, but since we moved in 2020, the sun doesn't come up as early as I'm used to, so my training has been starting in April.

This year? It's mid May and I'm on week 2 day 2.

So in my mind, I'm a full 3 months behind. And that sucks.

Nevertheless, I have a goal with an end date, and that will keep me heading out the door to pound pavement from now until July 4 with a certainty that I don't possess the remainder of the year.

Even with the best of intentions after the race, it never fails that I stop running somewhere between mid August to mid September.

For the record, my brain loves running. My body? Not so much.

But it's something I enjoy and I would love to not have to start my training all from scratch come February... or April. Or May, as it were.

But even though you could claim that I have a solid habit in place due to running between February (ish) and September (ish) - I mean, come on... that's at least 6 months - the habit goes out the window pretty quickly after not having an upcoming race on the schedule.

So motivation wanes, my "why" changes, and suddenly running becomes less of a priority and turns to walking instead (which I've done consistently since middle school and admittedly love far more than I love running).

Can you relate to that in your life at all?

Do you have a habit you're trying to keep but just can't sustain because life gets in the way?

I'll tell you - I have lots of those habits.

And many of them seem to start over again every other Monday.

Why do we sometimes struggle so much when we're trying to make positive changes to our lives?

I've talked to so many women that have told me "I know what I need to do, I just can't make myself do it."

I know friend. Me too.

Having a coach can help. A lot.

But coaches are expensive.

It's true... I'm a coach and I know the importance of having a coach... but I'm also a super cheapskate and hate paying for a coach.

I've hired coaches several times but never stick with it because I just can't stomach spending the money.

I figure I can do it on my own (cause that's free). But I usually can't do it on my own.

Don't roll your eyes - I'm not about to tell you to hire a coach. Me or someone else (though it's really not a bad idea).

I'm about to tell you that I believe you CAN do it on your own, and I have the cheat code to make it super easy for you to do that!

If you really know me, you know I'm prone to ADHD (and as tempted as I am right now to get in to all the ways I feel about those 4 letters, I'm restraining myself).

(Phew - that was hard.)

But here's the thing. It's hard for me to stick to things.

I can get super hyper-focused on a project, or habit, or whatever, but I can also move on really quickly and boom - one day I'm suddenly no longer running but walking for the next 6 months instead.

Here's the other thing. I get overwhelmed with all my options really easily, and sometimes prefer to have someone just tell me exactly what to do.

So for running, I follow a couch to 10k app. The voice in my ear tells me exactly when to run and when to walk and I just do what she says. Every day, she builds upon what I've already done and I'm able to go just a little bit farther.

But what happens when I complete the training and I'm left to my own devices?

I head outside to run but have no plan for exactly how far I should run and rely on how I'm feeling that day instead.

I don't have a solid baseline plan, so that one day that I just feel like walking turns into all the days for the next several months, until I can no longer run a 5k at all and have to start training all over.

So back to that cheat code.

I would bet you've read, or at least heard of, the book "Atomic Habits". Am I right?

I read that book many years ago. It's probably as good as people say it is.

BUT that book didn't give me the tools I needed to take action. It didn't inspire me enough to actually do the work. It was a nice book. Sometimes I think about what he said. ;)

When I was certifying as a Sleep, Stress, and Recovery coach, I was introduced to concepts from the book "Tiny Habits" by BJ Fogg, and I was so intrigued that I bought the book and ended up highlighting the snot out of it.

This book, friend, this is what my brain needed.

While Dr. Fogg does a decent job at laying out exactly what to do to create real behavior shifts, I had to take it a step further and lay out a baby step-by-baby step program that would incorporate lessons from several coaching modalities as well as Dr. Fogg's formula for habit change.

My program is called Healthy Habits Done Right.

It's a 10-day program that takes you literally step-by-tiny-step through a process to:

1: figure out what you really want in life

2: help you overcome limiting beliefs that are keeping you stuck

3: help you figure out the skills you need to learn in order to actually accomplish what it is you want to accomplish

4: help you break down that skill into tiny actions you can do even on your worst days

5: teach you the scientifically proven brain hacks that help you solidify those habits so you create real, lasting behavior change

And the best part? It feels EASY. SIMPLE. DOABLE. You just watch a short video or two every day and complete the workbook pages.

Every day builds on the last, until you've created tiny habits that you know, without a doubt, you WILL stick to.

I hate overnight overhauls. It's why I don't make New Years resolutions. Nobody really sticks to those. Especially me.

Our brains fight complete overhauls.

As much as I want to (insert all those healthy habits here), if it's not easy for my brain to make that shift, it's just not going to happen long-term. (Your brain is the same, by the way.)

So Monday morning comes and by Friday I feel like a failure.

But not anymore.

I admit, sometimes my program feels too easy. "Did I do enough?" "Is this really going to get me to my goal?" are some of the things I ask myself when I'm doing my tiny habits.

But when I look back on the progress I've made with my new habits compared to the progress I would have made without them.... it's night and day.

Meaning - I'm actually making long-term progress whereas I would have quit months ago otherwise.

So it works for me. And I know it will work for you too {first_name}.

If you have access to The Done Right Wellness Vault, you have access to Healthy Habits Done Right. You can get started on the program this very minute.

If you don't already have access to The Vault, good things are waiting for you inside. It's priced with cheapskates like me in mind. Coaching without the high price tag.

The Done Right Wellness Vault is a growing library of self-paced learning and coaching, currently hosting Healthy Habits Done Right as well as GLP-1 Done Right. And coming soon-ish: Overcoming Fatigue Done Right.

I believe in effortless health. I believe in loving our body and giving it the right inputs to help it thrive. Life is stressful enough without forcing our body and mind into submission for the sake of someone else's idea of health (and there are sooo many of those on social media). I'm all about simple, sustainable, enjoyable, long-term health. I don't need a bikini body - I just want to feel good when I'm 80.

Though I'd totally take the bikini body if it wants to come my way.

Hugs & Smoothie Smiles,

Coach Camille

PN, SSR

P.S. Pop the podcasts in and head out that door!