Hey Family! I hope you are ready for a great week ahead. Today I wanted to talk about something that is extremely powerful.

HABITS!

They can set you up for success or long term failure. That’s why they are such an important topic and something we want to be mindful of in our day.

Habits are broken down into 4 steps…

  1. Cue
  2. Craving
  3. Response
  4. Reward

For example, let’s say you are going to see a movie. If you eat popcorn every time you go to the movies, you create a cue.

Movies = Popcorn

Now you walk up to the front doors and that’s right when you say “ohhh, you know what sounds good right now? POPCORN!”

You respond by getting in line and then you get the reward…the salty, buttery taste of popcorn that triggers dopamine. The pleasure chemical.

Here’s another example…

  • Cue >> Idle time
  • Craving >> Entertainment
  • Response >> Open social media
  • Reward >> Dopamine rush to brain

Here’s another example…

  • Cue >> Driving past fast food
  • Craving >> Comfort Food
  • Response >> Get food in drive through
  • Reward >> Dopamine rush

To start or stop habits you must understand them

There’s multiple things that can act as cues or triggers. Here’s some of the most poular

  1. Place – the gym will trigger you to workout, the living room probably won’t
  2. Time – certain times of day might trigger you
  3. Mood – bad moods can trigger emotional eating, follow H.A.L.T
  4. Moments – get in fight, pass a test, see the sunset
  5. People – wrong people can trigger you to move in the wrong direction and being around the right people can do the opposite.

Based on who you want to become, pick one habit you want to START and one habit you want to STOP.

They must align with your NEW identity, not your old one.

After you pick the habit, the BIGGEST factor you can change is the environment. That’s why it’s so awesome to have you in our fitness family. There’s nothing else to do in the gym except workout so you’re laser focused.

And when you are surrounded by others living a healthy lifestyle, it’s a positive pressure. When you surround yourself with people who aren’t being healthy, you have to resist and say no to lots of things which can deplete your willpower.

Besides environment, the second most powerful thing you can do is build cues or triggers that SERVE YOU throughout the day.

🥕 Want to eat more carrots, put them on the middle shelf of the fridge?

🍽️ Want to eat smaller portions, buy smaller plates and put them in the cabinet you open every time

👟 Want to get to the gym more, put your favorite workout outfit where you can easily grab them

🥤 Want to take your supplements, put them on counter by coffee maker

You are the architect of your environment. This is one of the simplest steps in creating habits but often overlooked.

Design your environment to make it EASIER to stick to your healthy habits.