Restarting

I’ve been considering a lot lately why restarting a habit after it’s been dropped is so difficult.

Recently, I reflected on this statement: the urgent often gets in the way of the important. Consciously or not, we are always prioritizing and de-prioritizing things in our lives. And good intentions and good habits can often fall by the wayside.

 

We get used to going to the Monday 5:30 am CrossFit class but hit snooze one day. The next week it gets a little easier to skip and before we know it’s not even something we consider doing.  This is especially easy during the winter months.

 

Same with our evening mobility, core work, writing time, pre-made lunches, or Spanish lessons. (Another thing I dropped the ball on the last few weeks!)

 

When we remember our forgotten habit we have an aversion to restarting.  Some of it is embarrassment – we don’t want to be the person who quit and is now coming back. Another reason many of us experience adverse feelings is the expectation that we have to get back to 100% of the effort/results or 100% of the original time commitment.  Sometimes we are overwhelmed with where to start, or we struggle to determine if we have the time or can make the time.

 

My advice – start small and exercise some self-compassion.  If your best friend or a close family member wanted to restart something, you’d ease them into it.  You would give them support and encouragement. Treat yourself the same way.

 

In the spirit of “walking the walk,” I stopped after the last paragraph to do some of my mobility and core work.  Now I’ve done it, that small bit of momentum will fuel me to do better and build on that chain tomorrow.

 

My days have the potential to become very busy very quickly. I generally have to plan out the time I’m going to do something.  I use google calendars to schedule when I’m working, meeting with someone, fitting in time for myself, and even spending quality time with my family.  It is how I stay on track without becoming overwhelmed. It has taken a lot of practice in prioritizing and scheduling.

 

We all fall out of good habits, and we all need to restart or reinvigorate in some way. Take the pressure off yourself to be perfect, but do pick a time to restart and commit to it.  Tell someone or ask for help.

Better yet, let me know what you’re going to recommit to, and I’ll help you stay accountable.  

 

If you are a member, or you want to rejoin, or you have been on the fence and you’re ready to get started … use the link below to schedule a meeting with me.   

 

https://sycamorecrossfit.uplaunch.com/client_bookings/378

 

I hope to talk to you soon.

Sincerely,

Carl Balentyne

 

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