Habits That Set Me Up for Success

December 11, 2019      Health Tips, Motivation

Always having a refrigerator and pantry full of ingredients.

Really! To me, having all the stuff, even if I don’t know what I will cook that day, is a kitchen full of possibilities. I usually have a game plan of what I will prepare through the week but if something happens (something always happens with kids) and I don’t make it to the grocery store when I expect to, I don’t worry. I know there are some peppers of left-over veggies I need to use. Dried lentils, quinoa, rice, canned beans, spices, maybe tofu that I can create magic with. Next time I make it to the store, I make sure I restock those essential items.

Cook in Layers.

I get asked all the time, “how do you have enough time to make a meal like that?” or I hear, “I don’t have that kind of time in the morning”. Neither do I! I know my staples and make bulk of them at the beginning of the week. For example, quinoa. I love quinoa instead of rice with stir fry, in soups, and even as…. Breakfast! Yes, breakfast! If I happen to making a dinner with it, I double the recipe so I have it for breakfast the next few days. For a great recipe on a Morning Quinoa Bowl, click HERE. Or, I make hard boiled eggs for a dinner salad, I make sure I boil extra for breakfast the next morning. Same thing with a veggie stir fry with tofu. I make extra tofu so I can use that on a salad for tomorrow’s dinner. You see, you don’t have to do it all at once. But these are great meals!

Learning to be a morning person.

No, I was not always a morning person. Quite the opposite. Before kids I was up being productive late nights. I would clean at night, workout at night, read at night, eat late, etc. But, fast forward to 2 kids later and unpredictable schedules. I can’t do it. Between work, homework, cooking, after school activities, bed time debacle, I have no real energy to devote to a workout. And, who am I kidding, really no control of the schedule. So, I pick the only time I have control of. The early morning. Yes, early as in 5:00 AM. And even that sometimes gets thrown off. As I’m writing now, its 5:15 am and my 5-year-old came down stating she needs to throw up. Poor thing. But good bye morning workout.

Using idle time to be productive.

I travel for my job. A lot. I use this time to listen to pod casts, plan my dinner, or brain storm ideas for new workouts. No time is wasted.

Daily workouts.

I alluded to this one earlier but its worth mentioning again. I set myself up for success. I plan and carve out time in my day to make this happen daily. Really. I made the decision over 10 years ago that my life will always be set up to allow for daily workouts. If changes happen (because they happen all the time), I strategize for convenience, time and efficiency. I already mentioned the shift to my morning workouts which helped 99% of the time. But what happens when the unforeseen happens? I get up from my desk a lot more, I lunge my way to the bathroom, I take time for 10 squats after I wash my hands. I take a yoga class that evening. I dance around the house with my kids after work. They sit on my back while I do push-ups. The point is, I make it work. Plan for it. Put it in your calendar and make an appointment for yourself!

Having like minded people in my life.

They are the support system I need to keep making healthy choices. I like bouncing workout ideas off certain friends, new recipe ideas off other friends and evaluate coaching strategies with others. That is not to say I don’t also have friends that aren’t exactly like me. I absolutely have friends that don’t eat like me or see the value in exercise that I see. But that means I get to be the support and set an example! If they choose to follow, great! If not, that’s great too. My goal is not to change them but to be an example.

 

Daily Gratitude.

About 7 months after my ex-husband and I split, I was stuck and I didn’t like it. A friend of mine suggested I read  “The Magic” by Rhonda Byrne (Get Here).This book was a game changer for me. I started to see my new situation as an amazing gift. The one thing that stuck on a daily basis was to journal 10 things that I am most grateful for. They don’t have to be epic. They can be small things like waking up this morning. Or the ability to see. There are people that don’t have either of those! But as you get more comfortable with this practice, you will see it becoming easier to recognize and acknowledge the abundance in your life. It will look something like this:

Today I am Grateful for…
1) My girls telling throughout the day how much they love me. -Thank You
2) My amazing and supportive parents who watch my girls while I work and provide us room as we transition to the next chapter of our lives. - Thank You
3) The time I am creating to write this blog. Whether it be more myself or anyone else who reads it, it could be that one nugget to propel that person into action. -Thank You
4) Getting to set down and eat breakfast with my girls. I look forward to our oatmeal and peanut butter routine and getting to hear their voices before our day starts. -Thank You
5) My supportive partner who encouraged me to start CoachingWithAPurpose and is doing much of the background work to make it easier for me to be successful. -Thank You
6) Having a day job that I love. Getting to see people foster and grow as we work together. -Thank You.
7) A great night sleep last night. That is setting my day up for success. -Thank You.
8) Getting to watch my oldest dance at her dance lesson last night. -Thank You.
9) Listening to pump up music and I get ready for my morning workout. -Thank You.
10) Hot water waiting for me as I clean up from my workout. -Thank You.