For some the month of February can be kind of a “lull” month. Maybe you’re wrapping up Whole30, leaving “dry January” in the rearview mirror, or starting to miss a few of your “floss everyday” goals as we wind down from the high of New Year’s Resolutions. If any of this sounds familiar, here’s a quick activity that requires minimal effort but total and complete transparency. So if you’re cool with being honest with yourself, take a crack at this simple brainstorming tool:
Take out a pen and a piece of paper (read as: open up “notes” on your IPhone) and consider 3 prompts.
1. DO LESS. What in your life or routine do you need LESS of? Think in terms of what you can control. YOUR actions, YOUR thoughts, YOUR habits. Which ones aren’t healthy or don’t encourage the healthiest version of you? Really think critically, keeping in mind how achievable it is to do less of it. Maybe you’re not yet ready to do less reality television because even though Arie is a painfully boring Bachelor you HAVE to keep watching to make sure that he sends Krystal home soon. That’s ok! It’s ok because you’re being honest with yourself, and that’s the only way this exercise works.
2. KEEP DOING. This one’s fun because it’s kind of like “hey self, you’re good at this, and this and this, and this” and after a well-earned self-five, write it down as a reminder to keep doing it. Keep flossing, reading, meditating, cleaning, stretching, journaling, singing, crossword puzzling. Whatever it is that you find you do successfully that also adds some sort of value to your life – keep doing it.
3. DO MORE. We all have things that we do, but we don’t REALLY do them to the point of creating actual habits. Like, I read, but only when I’m in the mood or when I happen to have an extra 30 minutes before I need to go to sleep. However, I realize the benefits of reading and I really would like to make it a habit. What are some things that YOU sometimes/kind of do, but you’d like to do more? What would benefit you to do more? Remember our “do less” category? If you want it to, this one can go hand in hand with that one. Step one: make that list of things you need to do more of, and step two: insert them into the slots you’ve opened up by doing less ______! Brilliant, right?
The final step is: execute. Follow through. Start small, be realistic, and prioritize your self-improvement.
