Solutions to Create Better Habits

By Mohammed | January 7, 2008

Back in December I got tagged for a meme from my friend Gamy from
Mind, Think, Success.com about “Creating Better Habits”. While I thought it was a great meme, December found me busy, busy with my thoughts focused on the present (moment) and also the presents, (that Santa Claus does demand a lot of energy in the month of December!).

But it was not forgotten because Creating Better Habits is something we all can consider and think about to create our best life. After all, our habits do create our life so it really does help us to think about just how we spend our time and energies. And we all know that habits become ingrained so the better the habit, the better the life! If we want to create the best life possible shouldn‘t we make our habits work for us rather than against us?

January is always a great time to consider making changes, resolutions and intentions but as I talk about “Creating Better Habits” I want to take January out of the equation. January and the New Year have nothing to do with it. I want my better habits to be a lifetime thing, not just a January thing.

Part of the meme was to “fess up” to your bad habits and talk about how you can change them. Well, I don’t have many things that bother me but I did come up with three things that I work on or need to work on. All of these things will improve the quality and maybe even the quantity of my life. Two of them are important for me to improve the quality of my life. One of them is crucial. I think I have a habit pretty much established for one of them. The other two I work on. Everyday.

1. Healthy Lifestyle-Diet and Fitness.
On my list and many others lists is a Healthy Lifestyle, being fit and eating a balanced healthy diet. This is a good habit that I have had off and on for my whole life. But sometimes changes can break up the flow of a good habit.
About 3 years ago I moved into a new home and away from my favorite gym. I really thought it would be no big deal and that I could just go on at a new gym with no breaks. I was wrong. The new gym never quite felt good. It was nice, much nicer than the gym I left but the energy was different. I didn’t really fit.
Then I got pregnant so I used that as an excuse. Afterwards I went but I was sporadic.

Sporadic does not make for a good habit!

Well in the last few months we decided that we wanted to have a home workout room. We had the room in our basement and we even had some great equipment. So we set it up and I have slowly gotten back into the habit. It feels good. I always worked out alone anyway. Home now works for me. A few more sets of dumbbells and an elliptical trainer and I’m good!

And that is my advice on working out. Find what works for you. The best time and the best way to workout and exercise is the time and way that You will do it.

Regularly and Consistently!

Now I will have to address a bad lifestyle habit–Overindulgence. Yes, I have been known to overindulge. Healthy girl, Healthy appetite. One problem is that I usually eat healthy food I just eat more of it than I should. A great example would be pistachio’s. Pistachio’s have high levels of potassium and healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat. Pistachios can be a healthy addition to your diet– in moderation–
17 pistachio’s a day is healthy, 117 pistachio’s a day…. not so much!

And the answer to that is–Almonds!
(I know I can’t resist pistachio’s but I’m good with almonds, I can eat only 7 and stop!)

And the moral is….Everything in Moderation! (And if you can’t be moderate, substitute!)

2. Housecleaning.
I love a clean house.

No, I mean I really Love a clean house.

Did I mention how much I Love a clean house?

But while I may love to have the house clean, I do not love to clean it. (That’s one reason why I have Martha, but she is soooo high maintenance!)
So that is my bad habit. I’m not a great housekeeper.
The natural neat freaks out there would have you believe that my brain is somewhat scrambled since my desk is somewhat messy ( I read other websites, I know!). I prefer to think that I am more of an artsy, fartsy, creative type that is more inclined to make a mess and clean it up! Yes, that is me! Many different projects, many different times, many different messes! That’s right, Artistic and Creative! (….or maybe scrambled brains, who really knows?)

But I am working on this and I have come up with some things that are working! My house is clean and I am happy!

First off was a tip from a blogger friend who no longer blogs. Yes, it is a sad thing but I cannot tell you where to read the post because it is now gone. Gone. Poof!
But my friend had a wonderful post about making housecleaning into a meditation. As someone who spends much time in her own mind and enjoys it, that works for me!

But I still had the distractions. Email was calling, just “one more chapter” was calling and my housecleaning meditation was cut short before I was finished because I could so easily find something else to do! So I came up with another solution. It works really well!

I have a timer, (a vibrating timer!). I set it for 30 minutes or so and I clean the house and I do not stop for anything until that timer goes off! It’s amazing what can be accomplished in 30 minutes uninterrupted!
It was the uninterrupted that I was missing!

So that is how I am working on that habit. So far it is working for me! Today my house is clean, I love it!

Did I mention how much I love a clean house?

3. Self-Love
This is the one that is crucial! Yes, I think that in order to create your best life you have to quit with the self-criticism and embrace the self-love. It’s not always easy as old habits die hard!
I learned to be critical of myself early on. I’m sure many people did. It seems to be part of our culture, “reach for the worse feeling thought”, “don’t pat yourself on the back, you’ll twist your arm” and all.
But I realize that I always give others a break. I overlook their faults, I don’t criticize them. It became time to offer myself that same love and respect.

So I’m working on it. I’m acknowledging myself when I do something good and catching myself when I start criticizing and turning it around. I have even tried Gamy’s suggestion about using a term of endearment. “Darling” didn’t work for me but I do respond to “Sweetie Pie”! I am also developing a list of affirmations about self-love that work for me.

It feels good! It feels right!

I’m working on it! Everyday!

This is the good habit that will help me to create the Life I want, the Life I Deserve!

And there you have it! My habits and my solutions. I am a work in progress!

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How can you create better habits so you can create your best life?