Habit That!

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." - Jim Rohn

To change anything in our life, we need the motivation to do so. Where we pull that motivation from is different for everyone. Whether it's within us to better ourselves, or for our children, family, a medical condition or "just 'cause"! I know there are people like my son and my fiance (pictured with me here) that I am personally motivated by to do the best I can in whatever it is I do. Even as a teen, I strived to achieve above and beyond, and although they were all different types of successes, they were still that... successes.

The key to holding onto what it is we want, is by making it a habit. Not something that we blame lack of willpower on, but pure and simple habit. When something is a habit, it's so much easier to deal with, just like getting dressed, showering, brushing your teeth, etc. It's instilled in us as a way of living.

Usually we don't have to consciously think about doing our daily routines, things that come natural, and that's where habit comes into play. Changing your lifestyle to a healthy and active one can be challenging for anyone, but when it becomes habit, it flows into our day to day lives without much thought. I'm sure there are a lot of things you do day to day without actually thinking about it, you just DO it. Picking up your clothes, doing dishes after a meal, it's just what should be done, and you just do it! Just like blogging to some folks. There was something that motivated them, or even YOU, to start a blog, yet you post things daily, or naturally when thoughts run through your head, and it's a habit. I think a lot of times this is a great habit, because it allows us to write and type out our convictions, and how we want to live our lives, and is a constand reminder of the type of person we want to be. Blogs and journals are very therapeutic in that sense. I know I love mine!

Healthly lifestyle habits are easy to come by. I know there are things that I never thought I could do. Like cut out (what I call) "the white stuff". Pasta, breads, potatoes, fries, etc. I used to eat SO much of this stuff! True, my diabetes came into play with my decision to change that, but that was my motivation! I wonder to this day if I wasn't diagnosed with type II diabetes if I would have ever changed that habit. But, just like it was a habit to endulge in them, over the years, I've made it a habit to steer clear of them. Some habits, you can just do a "180" on. Never look back. Never thought I could switch from regular to diet soda, but I did. Now, my goal is to make drinking water a habit to replace the diet soda habit. One step at a time. Even taking a sip of regular soda makes me cringe. It tastes so nasty to me now. Like pure syrup. YUCK!

From switching out bad to good habits, and even creating brand new habits, you can slow begin to achieve the lifestyle you want. Heck, it doesn't even have to be about food!! It can even be a change of letting things fester, to learning to forgive quicker! You never know what you can do when you take positive motivation and turn it into HABIT!

Have a great week and weekend everyone! I'm enjoying my time with my fiance while he's on leave here at home, and getting more excited about my big move come end of May! *cheers*

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