7 weeks to a Slightly Better life
On easing into change
Last week I wrote to you about the ground rules in my grand project of “Improving My Life”. This week, we get going. Time to define what improving my life even means, and set out the plan to get started.
As I wrote to you last week:
“we’re going to hold on to rule #3 and simply start. All the other advice will be tried and tested along the way. We don’t need to perfect plan (rule #2) and we don’t want a huge overwhelming project (rule #1). We trust that everything will develop as it needs to once we are on a roll (rule #5), and we trust our own ability to change the course where needed.”
The objective
Feeling a little less stuck, a little more energized, and a little more in control of life. That’s it. That’s al.
The concept
A few weeks ago I came upon a Blinkist summary of Rujuta Dewikar’s book 12 Week Fitness Project. In this book, Rujuta suggests taking one new habit each week, stacking them on top of each other over the course of twelve weeks. Her suggestions include strength training once a week, adding ghee to your diet, and doing your sun salutations in the morning. The book inspired me because the suggested habits were so doable, and the twelve week plan meant nobody was required to change their habits all at once. The concept spoke to me, but the topic didn’t quite suit me. While losing some weight might not be a bad idea for me, it’s not a priority for me at this point in time. My main goals right now are to have more energy in my day to day life, and to feel a little bit more control over how my life is going. So, I set out to adjust the concept to my goals.
I sat down, and in an effort to not succumb to overthinking and perfectionism, I wrote down the first few beneficial habits that came to mind, in no particular order. I came up with seven, and as such my 7 Week Plan to a Slightly Better Life was born. Change doesn’t have to be complicated. Here’s the list:
Cold showers
Exercise twice a week
Stretching and breathing exercises before sleep
No phone for the first 30 minutes of the day
Hydrate
Reduce sugar
A set bedtime + set waking time
It’s short but sweet. No complete overhaul of my life. No big sacrifices. No real blood, sweat and tears. Less “no pain no gain” and more easing into change, and believing that small but meaningful effort will compound over time.
Confidence
I once read that the main reason many of us lack confidence when it comes to taking charge of our lives is that we don’t follow through on the promises we make to ourselves. Besides the wonderful benefits I believe these seven habits will bring me, this confidence is the main purpose of this seven week program. By setting small, doable goals, I’m setting myself up for success and giving myself a chance to gain confidence.
Next week
Week 1 of The Program! I’ll implement lessons from habit expert James Clear (the Atomic Habits guy) to further set myself up for success, give you an update on getting back in exercising and hopefully hear from you all how your week is going!
If you would write a 7 week program for yourself, what would it look like? Let me know in the comments. Also, if you’d like to join me on mine, let me know how week 1 is going for you!
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See you next week,
Hadewych