Healthy Habits
Here in modern America we have largely solved the problems that have plagued humanity forever. Humans have always struggled to secure for themselves food, shelter, and water. Not until very recently in the timeline of humanity have we had these 3 things. Of course there are many right here in COS that still are in search of these basic human needs but if you’re reading this, whether in our office or online, it’s safe to say you have all 3. You don’t need to worry whether you will be able to find food or water and even if you have to stay in a cheap motel, you will have shelter. So, with these three major issues solved, we as humans can move on to other problems that require tackling. We get to solve super fun questions like who am I? What is my identity? Now we could spend the rest of our lives philosophizing over these questions, exploring the inner workings of the mind. But I like more practical and actionable answers. And the reality is that even these questions have been solved for us. Who are you? You are the sum of the choices you make. What is your identity? You are what you repeatedly do.
That being said, who we THINK we are drives our choices and who we SAY we are changes what we repeatedly do but it is our ACTIONS that define us. You can think and say you are a mountain climber but if you have never actually climbed a mountain can you really be a mountain climber? You can say you are a runner but if you never run are really you a runner?
It is our habits that define us. Knowing this is powerful because it gives us a roadmap to becoming whoever or whatever we choose in life! If you want to be a runner all you need to do is start running! If you want to be a mountain climber all you need to do is climb mountains! Easier said than done BUT anything is possible simply by changing what you habitually do.
I used to hate working out in the morning. All through undergrad and chiropractic school I would always workout in the early afternoon. Around 2 or 3 PM was my time. It felt good, I had plenty of energy. The mornings were terrible! Low energy, stiff muscles, and zero motivation. But when school ended and I started working full time I realized that my afternoon workouts were done. So for a long time I simply didn’t workout! I couldn’t workout in the afternoon and I certainly wasn’t going to do it in the morning. “I’m not a morning person,” I told myself. That didn’t serve me at all. I was getting out of shape, feeling tired and sluggish all the time. Finally one day I drew a line in the sand and forced myself to wake up earlier and do my workouts first thing in the morning. At first I hated it. I made all the excuses in the world, but it was important so I pressed on. Slowly it got easier and easier. Until now, I really enjoy my 5:00 AM workouts! I have become a “morning person.” How? By changing my habits.
Becoming the person you want to be is just on the other side of changing what you habitually do. Do you want to be a better Christian? Make a habit of reading your bible every morning instead of scrolling social media. Do you want to be a better spouse? Make a habit of kissing your spouse good-bye every day. Do you want to be healthier, have more energy, and feel good about yourself when you look in the mirror? Create healthy habits! Bring your lunch to work. Wake up early to work out. Do your spinal exercises while the coffee is brewing. Making and sticking to small changes will have massive impact over long periods. What would your life look like in 1 month if all you did was commit to eating a salad every day? Just that small habit would create major change.
Now there are rules to habits and identity. The rules are: It takes 21 days to make or break a habit and it takes 90 days to change your identity. Meaning that if you stick with something for 21 days it becomes so much easier! It’s now a habit. But when you stick with something for 90 days you have become the person who (fill in the blank). After 21 days of waking up early to exercise, it got way easier but then after doing it for 90 days, in my heart I became the person who worksout at 5 AM.
The question then becomes: who do you want to be in life and what habits do you need to change to become that person?
On Saturday February 11th from 9-11:30 AM we are taking a deep dive into Healthy Habits. We will be going over the WHYs, WHATs, and HOWs of healthy living and how to sustain a healthy lifestyle forever! We will also be kicking off our 21Day Healthy Habits Challenge that will lead into our 90-Day Healthy Identity Shift! You don’t want to miss it. Seats are very limited so see the NGFC team to get signed up!
In Health and Faith,
Dr. Marc
