The secret to success is found in your daily routine. You’ll never change your life until you change something you do on a daily basis.
If you've been listening to the podcast or following me on Instagram for awhile, you know that that I talk about this a lot.
The first step in creating a daily routine is owning your own shit.
You have to first own up to all of the bullshit you tell yourself. The excuses you make and the story you have created to justify why you aren't doing the things you need to do, in order to achieve the goals you set.
I know change can be scary, but these changes don’t have to be big. They can be as small as waking up 30 mins earlier to form a morning routine, adding a 5 minute meditation to your day or not allowing yourself to eat past a certain time, if you are a nighttime snacker.
The point is that you something you are currently doing is not helping you to get to where you would like to go, so you need to make changes. It's an easy concept but we tend to complicate it. We tend to think we need to massively overhaul our daily routines all on day 1, and that is why we get frustrated and go back to our old ways so quickly.
We overwhelm ourselves, make it too difficult to find success and as a result, revert bad to the same habits we are trying to break.
"Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you're willing to stick with them for years." - James Clear
These small changes may seem too simple, but they are harder than you think, and you have to build upon. By making these small, simple changes, you will create that big change in your life that you are searching for.
Success doesn't come from doing difficult things quickly. It comes from doing simple things consistently. You won't see the results right away. You have to be in this for the long haul and trust that there is power in the routine you are creating. As that routine grows stronger it creates a long term ripple effect, and that is where the magic of the compound effect lies.
If you struggle in understanding how small change can make a difference, I highly recommend a book called The Compound Effect. Want more info on building upon these small habits? Check out a book called Atomic Habits.
This week I challenge you to pick one thing that you need to change and make one small tweak to your daily routine that can help you achieve this change.
If you "fail" at getting your workouts done when you're supposed to, I want you to look at the situation and figure out why you aren't getting them done.
Do you try to go to the gym after work but you end up too tired or work late instead of going? If so, set an alarm for an hour earlier in the morning and get your workout done before you do anything else for the day. Remember, failing only happens when you give up. If you don't give up, it's simply a learning opportunity!
The lesson here might be getting it done first in the morning, before life happens and you come up with reasons why you can't get it done. By deciding to wake up early and get the workout done before anything else, you will ensure that reach your goal.
Now if you hit snooze 5 times and sabotage yourself, that's on you and you have to face yourself in the mirror and own your own shit... you won't like how that feels, trust me!
This is why owning your own shit is so important. Who wants to look in the mirror and realize that you are the reason why you are not reaching your goals? The answer to that is no one.
We all find outside "things" to blame. It's easy to do, however when all is said and done, we are the only ones who control what we do or do not achieve. We make the excuses or react to a situation the way we do. It's why mindset is such an important, but often overlooked part of your health and fitness journey.
Being aware of your habits, the excuses, and the changes you make to alter your behavior will really help you to reach your goals. It's truly a key component to experiencing success on this journey and a huge drive of the compound effect.
"Success is not a goal to reach or a finish line to cross. It is a system to improve, an endless process to refine." - James Clear
Changing your habits can be overwhelming but it's really as simple as making small changes and building upon them. It can be achieved in these four steps:
Own your own shit.
Be mindful of the lesson there is to learn in your "failure".
Make a small change to the plan or your behavior so you can succeed next time.
Rinse and repeat.
