Building a Foundation to a Better Life

Have you heard of Rachel Hollis? If not, stop reading this right now and go look her up on Instagram (@msrachelhollis). She is not only inspiring with a killer Insta, but she also provides tools with how to go after your dreams. She’s one of the reasons I finally stopped making excuses, and started building this blog. Her new book Girl, Stop Apologizing, is a game plan on how to go all in on your dream. “Build Foundations for Success” is one of the chapters in the book, and is the reason for this post. She lists 5 things to start doing every day that sets you up for success. 

For the month of June, I decided I was going to implement these everyday and see how it changes my life. Sometimes it wasn’t pretty and sometimes it was great. To be honest, I’ve tried to make several habit changes in my life and most of them were not successful. I bought into the narrative that I was always going to be this way and I will never change. Anyone else ever feel this way? This past year I’ve done a lot of maturing and growing, so I knew this time was going to be different. I decided at the beginning that I was going to give myself grace, because I know I am not perfect, and that no matter how many days in a row I was unsuccessful, I wasn’t going to give up.

Here are the 5 foundations for success that Rachel Hollis illustrates in her book, and the plan I wrote at the beginning of the month on how I was going to accomplish them: 

1. Morning routine

   1. I will wake up, work out, shower, make coffee, read the Bible, journal, meditate, and get ready for work.

   2. To accomplish this I will wake up at 4am. This is the hardest one. I have good intentions, but can never jump out of bed in the morning. I decided I will go to bed by 2100, so I know I will get enough sleep.

2. Work out for 30 minutes

   1. If my morning routine works out, this will be easy. It’s not a hardcore workout, some days will just be hiking or yoga. I can also do this right after work

3. Drink half my body weight in water

   1. Now I have to carry my water around with me. I have a blue jug that is 60 oz, I’ll drink one and a half of those. It’ll be easier to track.

4. No Chick-Fil-A

   1. This will help me save money. I’ll probably avoid eating out all together.

5. 10 Gratitudes before Bed

   1. I usually get really tired right before bed. I can start an evening routine at 2030. 

The big question: Did I succeed in doing this everyday? Hahahaha… no (I don’t know if it’s professional or accurate to put that in writing, but it’s exactly how I feel). I discovered on days I had to stand duty, it was really hard to stick with any of these. Most duty days, I consider it a success if I’m awake and feeling motivated during watch. Instead of beating myself up, I chose to give myself grace. When I gave myself grace, I was able to get back on track the next day. Sometimes, I didn’t complete one of the tasks, but I made sure I completed the others. It’s hard to introduce a new routine and to establish new habits. It doesn’t happen overnight, which is why I am continuing this for the month of July. It’s a fresh start! 

Another big obstacle was the television. The moment I turn on the TV, I am dysfunctional. My body gets tired and my brain turns to mush, so I do not want to do anything else. I wouldn’t complete my workouts or I didn’t write my gratitudes. New rule for July: No TV until my “To Accomplish” list is done. Another obstacle was my sleepiness. I did not get up at 0400. I did, however, get up by 0430, and was able to do the rest of my morning routine without the workout. 

So, after all the obstacles I faced and I finished the month out, how do I feel? Amazing! The days I stuck to my foundations, I was happier and more relaxed. I felt less stressed on duty days, and that is a big deal. It’s encouraging to realize that I completed the tasks more often than I didn’t, which is a great start. I’ll keep you posted on how July goes. Until then, here’s my tips for myself for the next month:

• Modified routine on duty days

• No workouts in the morning

• No tv until I’m done with to-dos 

• Create workout plans prior to going to the gym

What are some things you do to build a new habit? I would love to hear your tips and tricks! Talk to you soon!

Xoxo,

KCB