The Power of Habit

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.
Aristotle

This quote from Aristotle, on the surface, seems so simple, and yet it truly is deeply profound. The fact is that success is the culmination of a series of small consistent habits. An Olympic gold medallist trains daily for many years. A PhD studies consistently over their career as a student. An author must write regularly to pen a novel over wise it will never be finished.

Our health too, is based on our habits. The habits we develop and practice on a daily basis are what shape our future. You can develop the habit of eating lots of fruit and vegetables, or you can develop the habit of eating lots of junk food. You can develop in the habit of walking for an hour a day, or you can develop the habit of sitting on the lounge and watching television every night. The choice is invariably yours.

If health is your priority, then you need to grow and develop the habits that will lead you towards your goal. These are the habits of

-         Eating good, nutritious food

-         Exercising

-         Getting enough sleep

-         Relaxing and laughing

-         Having a social circle

-         Being kind to yourself and having positive self talk

How do you get from where you are now, wherever that may be, to having a healthy lifestyle? You adjust your daily habits and step-by-step you make the necessary changes. You don’t need to go from eating takeaway at every meal to eating the perfect diet. All it takes is making small changes and being consistent. What if you just cut out fried food and made the choice that at least just for now, you’ll only eat grilled food? Could you get off the bus 2 stops earlier and walked the extra 20 minutes home every day, 5 days a week? You don’t need to walk the 1 and a half hours to work, you just need to consistently do the 20 minutes daily and you will see the results over time.

Sometimes actions seem so small, so insignificant that it doesn’t feel like they alone are making any difference to our life. Rest assured, they are cumulative. Do it once and you may not see any benefit, but over the course of weeks, months or years, they will add up.

What habits are damaging your health? What could you do instead, to improve your health for the better?

Chris