Not this keystone
The great thing and the terrible thing about habits are that they can make drastic changes in our life.
Think about the things that you really like about yourself. Now think about the things you wish you could change. How many of them could be altered by your habits?
Money, weight, social life, giving to others. Any number of things can all be changed by habits.
The key to massive change is in keystone habits. A few of you quit reading and immediately popped a few Keystone Lights and are sitting back waiting on success to come too. I feel you.
In his book "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business", Charles Duhigg talks about these keystone habits being the key to all change. It is basically a habit that causes a chain reaction of other habits to occur.
Here is an example that was in the book:
“When people start habitually exercising, even as infrequently as once a week, they start changing other, unrelated patterns in their lives, often unknowingly. Typically people who exercise start eating better and becoming more productive at work. They smoke less and show more patience with colleagues and family. They use their credit cards less frequently and say they feel less stressed. It’s not completely clear why…‘Exercise spills over,’ said James Prochaska, a University of Rhode Island researcher. ‘There’s something about it that makes other good habits easier.’”
I have seen this in my clients as well. First they start exercising, feel like eating healthier foods, drinking more water, sleeping better, become more active outside of boot camp, becoming more open to others, laughing more, and stressing less. It is very common and it is awesome to see.
What could your keystone habit be?
-Waking up a little early
-Keeping a food journal
-Daily prayer
-Adding more vegetables to your diet
-Putting 10% of your paycheck into savings
-Doing something active every day