Life has a way of throwing wrenches into our routines.
For the past 30 days, I’ve been traveling quite a bit. My normal routine is to wake up at 4:30am to read, write, exercise and engage with my followers on social media. But that was sometimes hard during the past 30 days. Fortunately, I happen to be somewhat of an expert on habits and so I put my research to the test. Here’s what I did to stay on track:
- Strategically Cheat – I knew there would be certain days I would not be able to stay on track with my Rich Habits routine. So, on my calendar, I planned out my cheat days – the days I would not engage in my daily Rich Habits. Putting those Cheat Days on my calendar notified my brain that I would be cheating on certain days. This helped me psychologically – it gave me breathing room to cheat and at the same time it set a time limit on my cheating.
- Small Steps – When you go off track with your routine, it’s critical to get back on track. The best way to do this is to take small steps back into your routine. For example, just last week I was at the airport at 5am for a 7am flight. I was unable to run that morning. So, the next morning I limited my running to 20 minutes, instead of the 4-6 miles I normally run. Two days later I had to drive twelve hours to New Orleans. No running that day either. So, the following day, I ran 20 minutes. Two days later I was on another early morning flight back home and could not run that day either. So, the next day I ran 20 minutes. Yesterday, I ran 7.5 miles and I am now back on track with my exercise routine. Small steps keep you in the game. Small steps keep you motivated.
- Deplete Willpower Reserves on Recovery Days – When you fall off your routine, it can be hard to get back on track. But it’s only hard for a little while. For example, two days ago was my first full day back to my non-travel “normal” life. Waking up Monday at 4:30am took superhuman effort. But I did it. By the time I was done with my “normal” Rich Habits routine, I felt exhausted. I had completely depleted my willpower reserves. The following day, however, I got up at 4:30am without blinking an eye. I read, wrote, exercised and engaged with my followers on social media. I was back on track.
If you are trying to transform your life by engaging in certain daily habits that will lead to wealth, good health, success and happiness, you must accept the reality that life will throw wrenches into your good habit efforts. By Strategically Cheating, Small Stepping it back into your routine and depleting your Willpower Reserves on Recovery Days, you will stay on track.
Success is a journey and your habits are your transportation system. Stay focused on your Rich Habits. They will take you where you want to go.
About Thomas C. Corley
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