Hello everyone,

Today's newsletter was almost going to be postponed.

My family and I came down with a cold (maybe flu) & it nearly wiped us out for the week. This was also during 4th of July & we just finished deep cleaning 2 rooms of the house.

All in all, we were ready to pass out.

I was about to but I knew I shouldn't.

This was the exact mindset I was talking about in last week's newsletter. I decide to take a break because of my circumstances, I relax, I relax too much, next thing I know I skipped out on my goals for 6 months!

But not this time.

I want to commit to my new goals and for a new lifestyle. I’ve laid it all out and I need to commit to the game - leveling up and enjoying the progress. And this all can be a game, which I’ll describe more at the end, with the right mindset anyone can apply.

So that’s what this week is about - committing to a new lifestyle and breaking off old habits.

Without further ado, let’s start with what’s been holding me back.

Habits, Are They Even Important?

Whether I realize it or not, I am a being of habits.

Ever since birth, I’ve learned to start an action to fulfill a need (mostly crying for either hunger, restlessness, or potty break). Growing up led to learning complex actions to get what I needed or what I wanted - turning on and driving a car to run an errand.

All of this relates to habits and how they are formed. As explained by Charles Duhigg in his book, The Power of Habit, all habits can be separated into three parts. First, the cue is the signal for a necessity or desire. Second, the routine is the series of actions to fulfill it. Thirdly, the reward is achieving what is sought for. Rinse and repeat.

There is a lot that goes into something that isn’t thought of much.

And that’s the secret, the habit becomes normalized after doing it over and over again.

This can be beneficial for good habits (i.e. brushing your teeth, showering, eating meals) but it can be harmful with bad habits (i.e. binge watching, scrolling, eating junk food).

I definitely have bad habits that are stronger to break than good ones I want to keep. But instead of breaking off the bad habits, it is easier to change them or replace them.

The First Step

Let me explain using a habit I’ve been wanting to incorporate, walking.

I was amazed that I needed to walk about 10,000 steps a day to live a longer, healthier life.

And I was embarrassed to see my average daily steps coming around to 5,000.

But I understand how I got there. My work includes driving in a vehicle delivering food orders. My service in the church is sitting behind computers and controllers working the softwares and lights. My time at home is either sitting down to either write, work on crafts, or taking care of my baby nieces. And by the time I have free time, I give in to feeling tired and scrolling on my phone.

Not noticeable at the moment, but all of this adds up in the long-run.

So what could I do?

Going back to Duhigg’s work, what many fail in breaking bad habits is by starting new habits that don’t fit with their lifestyle or are unsustainable in the long-run. Instead, it is better to keep the cue for the habit but change the routine which in turn changes the reward,

The easiest area to change was at home. If I wanted to watch a video or look through my phone, then I would play a podcast or music to listen while walking around.

Next, I found time in between orders for myself and used it to gain more steps.

Then, I would fit in any spare time during the week to walk. Using my phone’s Health app to keep track of my steps and review my progress at the end of each day.

Final results, I’ve increased my average daily steps to 8,000.

A step-up from my previous average.

The rewards have also been fantastic; where it’s not only increasing my daily steps for my longevity, but also using the time to listen to podcasts, write occasional notes, or just be in silence.

The important thing is replacing what I’m used to with a productive routine whenever I want to do a certain task.

Takeaway

There are other areas I hope to incorporate into my ideal life - eating healthy, exercising more, and beginning online ventures.

The first step is to implement them into areas that need improvement using cues - hunger, boredom, and writing.

Next, is to keep at it for at least 21 days, the standard for habit implementation. It’s important to know there will be days where I miss the mark or didn’t have time to complete. That’s ok. I need to accept what has happened, no sugarcoating, be realistic, and adapt when necessary.

Which leads to the last step, see if I’m satisfied with the habit and find anything that can be added to it. This is where keystone habits come into play - habits that set off other habits.

Now I’m able to use any feelings - including boredom or disgruntlement - to kick start the routine for a long-term reward in the form of a short-term gain.

Doing by action instead of by emotion.

Emotions can cloud our progress and give a false sense of achievement. This is something I’ve heard from productivity leaders and I’m now beginning to grasp the more I keep at it.

And I believe this is the foundation to becoming disciplined, taking on the duties despite the circumstances.

That will do it for today. I hope this and the recommendations below help you on your journey as well.

Thanks for reading and see you next time.

Blessings!

Weekly Resources

I was going to save recommending this till after I read up on it again, but it’s too good to pass up and I’m surprised how much I was able to recall on it. I’m talking about the book, The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg. Not only does he share the science and importance of habit formation, but also real-life examples in professional and community settings & there are exercises for you to begin using the power of habits. Get started by clicking the link and begin reading this amazing book changing lives.

If you’re a gamer reading this newsletter, then here’s a recommendation just for you. A TED talk by Luis von Ahn, co-founder and CEO of Duolingo. He understands the importance of learning and makes it his mission for learning engagement and accessibility for all. Here he explores the key factors to achieving this and the one thing you can do to apply it in your life. Check it out and begin your game of life.

I want to give a recommendation to a new channel I’ve been watching giving out high-valuable content on productivity and lifestyle. The channel’s name is IsaiahDevyne and the video relating to this week’s newsletter is his discussion on when life gets tough. His mission is to help young men to begin living a fulfilling life as a warrior. If this sounds interesting to you or you just want to learn more about discipline, check out this video and his channel for more.