Do you brush your teeth at least once a day? Take a moment to reflect on how amazing that is!
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We’ve all been convinced and have bought into a habit simply because we want to avoid the long-term consequences of not brushing our teeth. We are willing to sacrifice a little bit of our time each day so we don’t have to experience more dentist visits and pain in the future. Of course there are some immediate benefits (like good breath and that clean feeling), but for the most part we’re doing it preventatively.
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Why is it that we have all been able to establish the habit of brushing our teeth, but struggle to establish the habits necessary to achieve our health and fitness goals?
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Most of us are well aware of the health consequences we could face if we don’t take care of our nutrition and our body, but it doesn’t seem to be enough.
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Take a step back.
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Remember how long (and possibly how many painful dentist visits) it took you to establish the habit of brushing your teeth. Years. Years of our parents, family, and dentist telling us to do so. You had days you forgot to do it. But you persevered. You found a way to work it into your routine, and convinced yourself the sacrifice was worth it in the long run. And now you don’t think twice about it.
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Do the same for fitness and nutrition. Write down the consequences of not eating well and moving often. Make a small sacrifice to start... maybe a 10 minute walk around the block after dinner or adding just half a cup of vegetables to one meal.
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You CAN establish new habits. It just takes some tough love and consistency over time.