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

TRIO is about establishing little, attainable, habits that work together over time to give you the body and life that you want.

What habits work?

I’m sure you are doing some amazing stuff already that you don’t even realize.

Simple ones like brushing our teeth or kissing our kids goodnight are a no-brainer.  I have been working out in the morning for awhile now.  I take care of business first before the kids go to school and then head out the door ten minutes later.  I’ve enrolled in Bar Method and their morning class is at 8:30am.  It’s tight, but I make it work.  (I’ve let go of brushing my hair and putting on makeup).  When I had a workout area in my home, I just did it there.  Sometimes,  I say to myself that I will do it later so that I can do some mental work first.  Unfortunately, 80 percent of the time I get sidetracked and never get to it.  

Recently, I've made a game of unpacking the dishes before my coffee is finished brewing.  Yes, I drink coffee and love it.  (half-decaf and only in morning)  An empty dishwasher is my way to maintain a neater kitchen.  

What Habits don't?

Do we really need to ask?  If there is any candy in the house, I usually make my way to it at some point in the day.  I’m aware enough to stop at a small amount but have to remove it from my eye line.  Sugar is insanely addictive. My beloved late grandma didn't like sweets.  Can you imagine?  I didn't inherit that.  

 How about the television/food connection?  It's hard to get the idea out of your head that we can reward ourselves for a hard day by eating in front of the TV at night.  It's crazy how basic that is.  What's works for me is to make a ritual out of a cup of tea and something small.  I have the fancy tea cup and all.  :)

My kids can waste three hours on a Saturday morning watching YouTube if I don’t get them out.  How about not making the bed and leaving things all over the place? It is another anxiety creator.  It's subtle, but enough to throw you off balance and into a cookie jar.

Helpful Tips:

If we can be present and alert enough to realize our “not so great” habits” then we can adjust them to move them in the direction that we want.  For example,  my night time eating adjustment permits me to consume about 200 calories at night with tea and a snack, and not a bag of chips or a pint of ice cream at over 500 calories. 

I keep gum picks in the car since I am supposed to use them daily and find that at night I am just too tired.  I look a bit crazy when I'm at a long red light, but who cares.  Gum health is important!

This is where I think having a mindful meditation practice can be of help as it puts a little pause between the impulse and the action. The more self-aware we can become, the more we can help ourselves.  Please be kind to yourself when making adjustments.  I still believe that little victories should be acknowledged and rewarded.  We want our good habits to last and become second nature.  

If you have any tricks and tips that you would like to share, please feel free to let us know or share them on our Facebook page, Clubtrio.