Yesterday: I maintained the integrity of my reduced calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I met my daily water goal, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.
Yesterday turned out to be busier than expected work-wise, complete with a rare line of late-season thunderstorms warranting some coverage at the studio. It wasn't bad here--and the weather coverage was fairly simple and fast. It was a good food day too, even though it included a super late lunch and late dinner. I did send a support text late afternoon when I realized how tired and hungry I'd become. Those are two things that can quickly lead to less than supportive choices for my daily plan. Immediately composing and sending a plan to my support friend cemented a commitment--it created some accountability and his reply, although not mandatory, supported the plan.
The one thing I've been noticing lately is how patterns, routines, and habits play a big part in my life. Some are really good while many are ones I'd prefer leaving behind. Certain areas of my life within these patterns feel like the movie Groundhog Day. The repetition trains me well because I know what to expect in the patterns. I can even vary my response along the way just enough to make it interesting.
Patterns, routines, and habits become comfort zones thanks to their familiarity. Even those I desire to change provide a level of comfort and ease--and in those patterns, I get the same outcome--again and again. As I explore this self-study of patterns, I remind myself that I have a long list of positive examples found in the areas where I've effectively rerouted the patterns over the years. I can simply look in the mirror and see evidence of these changed patterns.
Nothing changes if nothing changes. This is a common phrase heard in recovery circles and man oh man, that's the truth, isn't it?
Am I willing to change the things--those patterns, routines, and habits that keep me where I'm found day after day, month after month, and year after year? Willingness? That's a tough one for me. Maybe that surprises you given what I've accomplished over the last ten years, but I assure you--it's a question where I must start with everything I say I desire. Speaking or writing of things I desire never amounted to much. It isn't the saying that changes things, it's the doing. That's why I'm not filling this post with a long and tired "desire of change" list.
What am I willing to do differently and how will I do it? Those are the questions I must answer in support of the things I truly desire. Starting small and simple, building on it, and accumulating consistency in those different actions will grow and evolve changes in the patterns.
That's where I am. Asking myself, what can I do today that interrupts the patterns in a positive and supportive way? Small and simple is important. Sweeping, immediate, and extensive overhauls, for me, tend to be nothing more than passing spurts of incredible energy with temporary results. When the old comfort zone pattern starts looking more desirable than the possibilities ahead, I'm probably trying to change too much, too quickly. A measured approach of intentional actions combined with patience gives me the time and space I need to see the positive consequences more clearly--and that, more than a fast, furious, and impatient approach, can help me stay in the lanes of this new road construction.
I'm about to head over to the studio for a small amount of voice work--then I'm planning to prepare a good meal in the studio kitchen. I don't have a location broadcast today. I plan on visiting the gym later today. I have two memberships--the YMCA and another gym that just moved to a completely new location, so I'm excited about seeing the changes there--and imagining how this fresh new facility might effectively inspire a fresh new approach in that one area of my life.
Featured Tweet:
Missing my Ezekiel toast! This works too. :) #dailypractice #foodplan #whatilike pic.twitter.com/UUN6dgq8pY— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) November 30, 2018
Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Peace,Sean
Turn everything off in your house at 9:00 pm for a week. Easy peasy, just relax, do your evening pre-sleep routine, go to sleep if the quiet is too much. Make your whole day, your whole schedule, your whole routine START at 9:00 pm. Make it foundational, let everything else fall from this rail of starting everything by intentionally beginning your 24 hour cycle with yourself, rest, and repair. Maybe even 1 day if a week is too much of a commitment. Wishing you well.
ReplyDelete-Chris