A Habit A Month

Okay people… End of the month… Accountability time! The habit I was trying to develop in March was a healthy lifestyle. I can confidently say that I’ve been partially successful in my endeavor! 😀 I suppose that sounded a bit pathetic, but it’s the truth :)! Here’s a breakdown of the changes I hoped to incorporate in my lifestyle.

Water: Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day was first on my list. I did it – for the first time in my life! I’ll share my secret with you… I added it to my To Do list! Every morning, I add an entry in my To-Do list; something that looks like this:

1      2     3     4     5     6     7     8

Every time I drink a glass of water, I strike a number off! Is that a brilliant idea, or what?! OK, so maybe it isn’t that impressive; but it worked for me. It helped me keep track of my water intake, and within a week; I was able to make it a habit. I’ve been consistent for the past 4 weeks, I suppose it is safe to assume this habit is here to stay.

Sugar: Consume less sugary snacks and snack on fruits instead. This is the one I was only partially successful at. I did a few things right, though:

• I stocked up on dates, pears and bananas.
• I limited the cookies I bought, so that it would be just sufficient for the kids alone.
• I switched over to a natural sweetener that didn’t contain aspartame.
• I even baked a chocolate banana cake, substituting wheat for white flour and honey for sugar {It didn’t turn out as well, though :(}.

I restricted my sugar intake during weekdays, but sadly, the weekends found me munching on the Hide & Seek cookies I bought for the kids. What can I say – I love chocolate chip cookies :).

Exercise: Exercise at least 15-30 minutes every weekday was last on my list. Would you believe that I actually did it?! For the past 3 weeks, I have been walking/running – 20 minutes a day, 4 days a week. It isn’t much, but it’s a start. Here are some of my observations:

• The first week was awful. My body was terribly sore and I ached all over.
• Good running shoes are a necessity. I did the first week with an old pair of non-running shoes and it was pretty bad. The new shoes my husband got me soon after, definitely eased the discomfort.
• I prefer to wake up half an hour earlier and exercise before my husband leaves for work.
• I alternate between 2 minutes of walking and 1 minute of jogging.
• After 3 weeks, my legs seem to be stronger and I don’t feel as exhausted as I used to.
• I’ve never been a fan of physical workouts, but now, I don’t mind it as much.

I’ve started using LoseIt to track my food intake/exercise and I’ve joined an online accountability group to help me in this process. I have also started working through Energy Explosion – an ebook by Arabah Joy. I won the book at a giveaway by Livin’ the Good Life – and it’s chock-full of tips to increase your energy level.

The semi-healthy changes I’ve made over the past month have not affected my weight in any way. But then again, weight was not an issue – lack of stamina was. Although, I am a bit disappointed about my weakness for cookies – I’m hoping the calories I lose by exercising will make up for it.

To Do: Keep at it and don’t give up. With God’s help, it is possible.

To Read: 3 Ways to Change Bad Eating Habits

To Ponder: 

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19)

Another month, another new habit to master. Over the past 2 months I have made considerable progress in watching my mouth and minimizing the time I spend online (On a related note; our electricity board seems to be doing a better job at minimizing my online presence ;)). But in the meantime, I have let an important factor slide by the wayside – my health.

You know how in December, you cut yourself some slack and indulge in some Christmas goodies… Well, I’m still slacking… and snacking…! I purposely did not include dieting or exercising in my plan for this year – I wasn’t sure I could make the commitment to do either.

But sadly, the time has come when I cannot ignore my health any longer. I find myself low on stamina and high on the scales… Not that the actual weight matters… well maybe just a teeny tiny bit ;). Anyway, I’d like to be fit enough to take a 10 minute walk without needing another 10 minutes to catch my breath!

So, this month, I propose to implement the habit of a healthy lifestyle. Nope, not aiming for the moon. Just taking baby steps that will hopefully make a difference in my health. In March, I will strive to:

• Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.
• Consume less sugary snacks and snack on fruits instead.
• Find some way to exercise at least 15-30 minutes every weekday.

After failing miserably in controlling my food intake last month, I hope to do a better job this time around. I know it takes time & practice & loads of self control – God help me please! I have been reading several blog posts on healthy living and I hope to incorporate some of those strategies to improve my own health.

By the end of this month, I hope to establish healthy habits that will last a lifetime. I spend countless hours everyday getting myself spiritually and intellectually fit. I don’t want to miss out on getting myself physically fit – so I can actually live life the way God intended me to.

If you like this idea, why don’t you take this up as a challenge? Focus on just one area in your life that needs an overhaul and make it the habit you want to develop this month. It could be as simple as waking up early or spending time with God everyday. This would be an opportunity for you to actually take a step forward and work on that one good habit you have always wanted to develop. Or kick that one bad habit that has always been nagging your conscience. Are you up for it? Who’s with me?

Just a couple of days left in the month of February, and it’s time to hold myself accountable to the decisions I made at the beginning of the month. This month, I chose to develop the habit of self control – particularly in 3 areas: food, internet & my mouth.

My Mouth:

I am happy to report, I’ve made good progress in managing my mouth. I suppose resolving to speak positively in January did help me rein in my mouth. Over the past month, I have exercised control over the words I speak. Rather than rushing to vocalize my every emotion, I have been able to take a moment to think before I speak. Some things I have learnt to consider before opening my mouth…

• Do I have to bring this matter up right this instant, or can it wait?
• Does the tone of my voice convey a different meaning?
• What do my facial expressions and body language convey?

Internet Usage:

I have exercised some control over my internet usage this month. Although I did err  a couple of times by staying up way too late in the night catching up on other blogs – and regretting it the following morning! Let me tell you, it is SO HARD when you’re working beside a closed laptop and everything within you wants to turn it on :). I recently read the ebook “Tell Your Time” and I was able to apply some of the strategies I learnt, so that helped a bit.

Here are a few things I do to manage my time online:

• Do not switch on the computer until certain tasks are completed (Bible study, prayer and morning chores).
• Limit myself to only one online activity at a time – Facebook, email and WordPress dashboard should not remain open when I am paying bills online.
• Login to WordPress to blog (or reply to comments) only thrice a week.
• Check email only once a day and reply to emails immediately.
• Limit Facebook time (personal & blog’s page) to 1 hour per day.
• Subscribe to favorite blogs in Google Reader and read only when kids are asleep or playing together.
• Do NOT mindlessly click links and read articles that are in no way beneficial to my intellectual, spiritual or physical well-being.
• If I do need some time to relax and let loose – set a timer for 30 minutes and stop when the time is up {unless husband dearest is home ;)}.

Food:

Errr…. Umm…. Food… not so good :(. In all honesty, I admit… I didn’t exercise much restraint when it came to food. I did cut down on chocolates, but ended up satisfying my craving with a lot of sugar. And would you believe it – a handful of broken cookies the kids leave behind adds up to a LOT of sugar?! I’ve got a lot of work to do in this department :).

All said, I think it was an OK month… Atleast I’ve manage to control myself when it came to things I said and time I spent online. I recently read somewhere (I really wish I remembered where) that self control is like a muscle that is strengthened when exercised. Which means, every time I exercise restraint – my will is strengthened… and over time, I believe it gets easier.

Developing self control is a mammoth task. It would be unwise to undertake it by ourselves. But God is good and when we turn to Him – He is there to help, guide and strengthen our will. With Him, I believe I can work through it and get better in establishing the habit of self control.

To Do: Maintain a running list of areas where self control needs to be developed; pray and begin to work on it.

To Read: It May Be Hard, But Never Too Hard

To Ponder:

“…one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.” (Titus 1:8) 

“…But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (I Corinthians 9:27)

The decision to work on developing just one habit each month, is definitely a step in the right direction. Ever since I chose to work on the habit of positive speech last month, I have become more conscious of every negative word I say. That, to me looks like progress – certainly a good start.

Now that positive speech is slowly (but surely) becoming a habit, I am ready to move on. The next habit I want to undertake is a biggie. But it’s something I really need to work on intentionally – otherwise, I just seem to be going nowhere. During the month of February, I will be working on SELF CONTROL!

Yikes! To tell you the truth, I am a bit apprehensive about this one. I have long struggled with self control in three areas of my life…

• Food – need i say more ;).
• Internet – I spend a considerable chunk of unproductive time on Facebook & other blogs (not so good when you have 97 more things on you To-Do list).
• My Mouth – Sometimes, I say things I don’t actually mean; without taking a second or two to process the words. God help my husband 🙂 LOL!

A verse I came across recently on Peak 313 Fitness jolted me out of my comfort zone.

“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” (Proverbs 25:28)

Well, I’m not sure I want to be like a city without walls – exposed and without protection. It matters that I should be able to control myself – and not just act based on my every whim and fancy. I want to regain control over my mind & my body. I do not want to let my emotions and impulses dominate me. So, yes… A big one – self control in 3 specific areas of my life. I’m praying that with God’s help, I will be able to master this one.

If you like this idea, why don’t you take this up as a challenge? Focus on just one area in your life that needs an overhaul and make it the habit you want to develop this month. It could be as simple as waking up early or spending time with God everyday. This would be an opportunity for you to actually take a step forward and work on that one good habit you have always wanted to develop. Or kick that one bad habit that has always been nagging your conscience. Are you up for it? Who’s with me?

This post is linked to the following blogs:

We’re nearing the end of January and I thought I’d post an update on how I’ve fared on developing the habit of positive speech. I learnt a lot on the subject, that’s for sure!

Here are a few things I discovered this month:

1. No matter how hard I try, I can’t do it on my own. Asking for God’s help was a step in the right direction.
2. You need somebody’s support. I had my husband‘s. At times when he pointed out my negative outlook, I would rephrase it with a positive twist. That’s good, right? 😉
3. In order to speak positive words, I needed to T.H.I.N.K before I speak.
4. It takes a lot of effort to look at a difficult situation and find something to be thankful about.
5. When I fell sick this month, it was a challenge to admit I wasn’t feeling well without being negative about it.

It took a while, but I started realizing I had said something negative as soon as the words were out of my mouth. The next step was to stop the negative thought in my head before my mouth could get a hold of it. That was the difficult part – and something I am consciously working on till date. But I must say, I’m getting better at it :).

To Do: Maintain a gratitude journal

To Read: A Holy Experience

To Ponder:

“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45)

After reading a series on 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life by Money Saving Mom, I realized it would be a good idea to apply the same principle in my life. This year (as mentioned in my previous post), I will work on developing just one good habit a month.

“A Habit A Month” will be an ongoing series on this blog for the entire year. At the beginning of each month, I will be posting the habit I hope to develop; and at the end of the month, I will be posting an update on how well (or how badly) I’ve fared.

Why “A Habit A Month”?

1. I find that when I try to make too many changes to my lifestyle at a time, they tend to fizzle out within a month week.
2. It is easier to concentrate on just one habit at a time until it is developed.
3. I am hoping that 31 days is more than enough to make the habit part of a lifestyle.
4. If I am not intentional about becoming a better person, it might never happen.
5. Blogging about it keeps me accountable.

So, without delaying any longer (Its already Jan 11th – but better late than never, right :)) I present to you… for the month of January…

The Habit of Positive Speech

My husband, my primary critic / cheerleader, recently pointed out that I had started speaking negatively on a regular basis. It came as a shocker to me, as I had long thought of myself as a positive person. Years of reading books like “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale had taught me to have a positive outlook towards life. But now, it certainly looks like my mind & my mouth need a double dose of optimism.

That is it then. I am going to be intentional about being positive. To be optimistic & to make sure my speech reflects it. I only hope this doesn’t backfire and I become that crazy over-the-top optimist – you know, the one who stands out in a thunderstorm looking for the sun, LOL!

If you like this idea, why don’t you take this up as a challenge? Focus on just one area in your life that needs an overhaul and make it the habit you want to develop this month. It could be as simple as waking up early or spending time with God everyday. This would be an opportunity for you to actually take a step forward and work on that one good habit you’ve always wanted to develop. Or kick that one bad habit that has always been nagging your conscience. Are you up for it? Who’s with me?

I am linking up with: