Tag: habits

  • On Tiny Habits (or: why pee wins where willpower fails)

    Do you have the tiniest inclination to make a change in the way you spend your days? Then watch this video on creating Tiny Habits. It may change your life.

    For all the times you tried to incorporate something into your lifestyle and gave up after a few tries or even only one… this is the thing that truly makes a difference.

    Here’s how it works: in stead of using willpower, which costs you a lot of energy and is far less effective, you can set tiny goals and make yourself successful at them time and time again.

    You’ll start liking your new behavior, feel great about yourself and, out of enthusiasm (as opposed to willpower) naturally extend your new tiny habit into a Big one.

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    Tiny examples

    • After i pee, i do 5 situps.
    • After i brush my teeth, i floss 1 tooth.
    • After i stand up from my chair, i pick up 1 thing to clean.
    • After i send an email, i take 1 minute to watch my breath.
    • After i get up in the morning, i light 1 candle.

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    What’s this thing about pee you mentioned?

    Using the Tiny Habits method, you will hook your new behavior into your day by anchoring it to something you do anyway. My favorite trigger has always been peeing: “after i pee, i will…”.

    I love having a strong belly. It makes me feel grounded and full of energy and inner strength. To strengthen my belly, i want to do daily situps. I choose an amount of situps that (to me) is ridiculously low, so i will have no excuse to skip. So i picked up this tiny habit:
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    Each time i pee, i will do 20 situps.

    I started only two days ago, i already did about 8 or 10 times 20 situps and i feel great about it!

    Btw, i know that to many, 20 situps is not ‘tiny’ but rather a lot. So whatever you consider tiny is personal. If i would do pushups, i would probably start with 3. The trick is to set your goal to an amount that is something you can not NOT do because there is just no excuse. It may sound silly but this is the way it works.

    How does it work?

    Tiny Habits is a great method to introduce new habits in your lifestyle in a fun and super-sustainable way.

    I have been using it often to get started with wholesome habits in my life such as drinking lemon juice every morning, sprouting my own beans, exercising daily and tidying my home.

    Here are the steps according to B.J. Fogg, the creator of Tiny Habits:

    Step 1: Get specific
    What behavior do you want?
    Translate target outcomes and goals into behaviors.
    And be specific.

    Step 2: Make it easy
    How can you make the behavior easy to do?
    Simplicity changes behavior.

    Step 3: Trigger the behavior
    What will prompt the behavior?
    Some triggers are natural. Others you must design.
    No behavior happens w/o a trigger.

    Just watch the video, then all of the above will make even more sense. Or ask your question in the comments, i will do my best to answer from my own experience and insight.

    If you want to know more and get automated email guidance by B.J. Fogg, the creator of Tiny Habits, check out this site: http://tinyhabits.com/ (new window).[/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

  • Wake up and make a change

    Wake up and make a change

    Waking up

    Very early this morning, after just four hours of sleep, i woke up filled with inspiration. Got up at six to draw some mindmaps. The essence:

    (Re)create healthy habits. Journal (on it right now). Get people involved (dito).

    Yesterday was a turning point

    Yesterday, following an unpleasant weekend, i found myself at a party feeling lost. I went home yearning for peace and quietness.

    It’s been a long time since i felt this way. What happened?

    For some weeks now, i have been feeling increasingly off-balance. Eating not-so-healthy foods, hardly exercising or practicing yoga, disregarding my feelings and loading myself with work didn’t help.

    I went to the party and felt a bit overwhelmed with the whole happening. When i needed to back away, i couldn’t. The sharpness of my soul crying for some space and the utter inability to change my own behavior felt devastating. I was alarmed by my own absence of centeredness and willfulness. It woke me up: something needed to change.

    My body was shaking with sadness and anger undealt with in the weeks before. I felt an urge to move and cry. The friends whom i shared it with, were of great support. Roald asked me what it was i needed (‘a strong presence to rest in’), and invited me to envision what it would be like to find this within myself. Toby invited me to spend a day in nature with him. Ronja hugged me softly and told me she loved me.

    I feel so incredibly rich to have friends like them.

    What is it you really like to do?

    A few hours earlier, on that Sunday early evening while i was doing some work sitting on the couch, my love Marco* had asked me: “Tell me, what is it that you really, REALLY like to do in life?”

    I couldn’t find an answer! I just forgot. I felt worthless, agitated, tired. And still, i kept on working.

    When i finally closed my laptop and was alone for a bit, only then some space emerged.

    Suddenly, the movement came automatically: i opened Spotify, played some music, got up and danced into my little kitchen.

    Cook! I love to cook.

    Some inspirators

    The past few weeks weren’t all that bad! I have met wonderful people and worked on some pretty cool projects.

    Paul Ricken

    One of them is Paul Ricken’s new website (now live at Paulricken.nl). Paul had lost his mojo for a while and then found it through a friend who read him a poem. This experience unleashed an unstoppable amount of energy and the ability to create ideas and content like never before. Working with Paul has inspired me to start to journal regularly and share the process with YOU.

    Rita Zeelenberg

    Then there’s Rita Zeelenberg, the owner of Mindful Eten (Dutch for Mindful Eating, we’re in the process of a big website restyling and addition of some very cool new features). Rita is a smart and committed professional and writes great articles. For you Dutchies: here’s her blog that inspired me this morning before i started to write this very post: 11 psychologische doetips voor je eetgedrag.

    Marileen Arbouw

    Next, there’s Marileen. My beloved princess-cookie-friend with whom i catered many a dish (vegan, organic, gluten-free, colorful & delicious) for groups of meditators and soul travelers. Yesterday, she published her website Marileenarbouw.nl which showcases her amazing artistic design and food creation talents. She got me all bubbly and full of inspiration to finish and publish this website (the one you’re reading right now).

    Toby Sebastian

    And then: Toby. When i’m around him, my heart opens and random thoughts dissolve into deep understanding. Toby just moved from England to The Netherlands and will be sharing his awakened insights in informal get-togethers, breathing life into a new project (including website) featuring today’s most valued spiritual teachers. (Update! Toby’s website is now live at tobysebastian.org.)

    Wow, right?

    Living a life in tune with your deepest values is easier when you surround yourself with people already living theirs. And i am so lucky to say there is an abundance of inspirators in my life.

    Creating habits for a healthy, conscious, minimal, joyful, connected, meaningful life of abundance and freedom is something i (will) write about regularly. Sharing experiences and growing up in public ;).

    Do you feel like joining in or just giving me a thumbs up? Let me know in the comments which habits you’d like to create for yourself and WHY.

    Thanks!

    * Update: things change and now years later, Judith and Marco are no longer together as a couple. We are still close friends.