Jump that Habit Hurdle

"A habit cannot be tossed out of the window, it must be coaxed down the stairs a step at a time." Mark Twain

Many of us know that healthy living requires adjustments to our diet and lifestyle. Sometimes we know how to get there, we just can't make that step forward. On the road to a healthier life there are some hurdles to clear. For most of us, the hardest to jump is that of habit.

Is this hurdle too high?

Habit is a tough hurdle for some people. There are many habits ... good and bad ... and they've built up in your life over a long time. It's next to impossible to just banish them overnight. You definitely can't get rid of a whole bunch of bad habits at once ... you have to take care of them one at a time. Start with an easy habit first ... then work your way up to the really tough ones.

Jumping the smaller hurdles first.

Let's say your bad habits are snacking late at night, drinking too much coffee all day, and staying up until three in the morning. Pick the one that's the easiest to jump first. Well ... if you're staying up until the wee hours of the morning, you're going to need some coffee just to get you through the day. And if your vegetating in front of the boob tube until the early hours ... it's a given that you'll feel a strong urge to snack. So tackle that bedtime habit first ...jump that hurdle before you attempt the others. To ease the transition from going to bed at 3am to getting in bed at 11pm, make minor adjustments. Maybe you've been staying up every night to watch the late show. In that case ... how about switching to a show that ends at 2 am? Then wean yourself off to 1 am. Before you know it ... you've coaxed that habit a good number of steps downstairs. If it gets to hard, try TIVO!

You're ready for the next set of hurdles.

Now that you're getting to bed at a more decent hour, you can handle that late night snacking hurdle. By the time you've started getting to bed between 11 and midnight ... the need for a late night snack is pretty well down the stairs. Now you can just give it a swift kick out the door. Additionally, the abundance of rest eliminates the need for that coffee kick in the morning. The coffee maker can be given a rest and replaced with a healthy and balanced breakfast. Another hurdle cleared!

Habits aren't irreversible. They are hurdles that you can clear and look past from over your shoulder. You just need to develop good habits. Any habit that is affecting your health ... needs to be coaxed down the stairs.

For every hurdle cleared, the goal of StellaR Living becomes more achievable in the distance. Keep on pushing....the finish line is just ahead!