I’ve been thinking about habit.
Admittedly, I have not read the viral Atomic Habits book yet. I'd imagine my thoughts aren’t so revolutionary.
But when I stop to think about all the changes I need to make in my daily life, I can get incredibly overwhelmed. Unless. Unless I remember everything I do is a choice.
Well. Most of everything I do is a choice.
I choose when I lay down and get up. I might not "choose" when I am awake and asleep, but the actions of laying down and getting up can help ensure sleep comes sooner or later.
I choose my meals daily. Maybe I chose earlier based on what I bought (or didn't buy) at the grocery store.
There are parts of my life I don't choose. Like what comes up in the day or how other people act. In both those scenarios, the choice is my response.
The basic habits I am trying to transform are actually just... choices.
It is not always easy to make the healthier choice. Depending on the day or the circumstance or the budget. But it is often an available choice.
It sounds so simple. To pick up a book instead of Instagram. To pick up water instead of coffee. To spend an hour on Sundays prepping meals so you have the choice to eat healthy food during the week instead of spending $15 on take out. To wake up at 4:45 instead of 5am. To add some protein to those carbs. To meditate instead of ... again... scrolling. To move your body rather than ... scrolling. To take a deep breath, count to ten, to give yourself space to see someone else's perspective.
There are other habits that are not as related to physical health. Like friendship. Community. connection. These get trickier because, well, everything gets trickier when you involve other people. But do I make the choice to reach out to my friends? Do I make the choice to intentionally carve out space? To offer my home even when it isn't spotless or "ready"?
These choices, which turn into habits, are about showing up as the woman I want to be, before I just intuitively am her. Or, perhaps, it is about knowing who I am and honoring her.
Either way. One step at a time.
