” There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses: only results.”
Kenneth Blanchard
TLDR; Good morning and welcome to your 2-minute dose of happiness. Today we speak to the value of consistently working on your own awareness and the commitments necessary to succeed.
Emotions: What technology can tell you about your emotions. Awareness: I can attribute my new found weight loss to exactly one thing: awareness. Happiness: Just as your emotions can affect your physical health, your physical health can affect your mental health.
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Soon it might be just as common to track your emotions with a wearable device as it is to monitor your physical health.
Wearable technology already can tell you about your heart rate, sleep patterns, health habits and breathing patterns; all of which can provide just as much insight into your emotional state as your physical state. For example, one Fitbit wearer discovered his device recorded the moment of his breakup. His heart rate soared at the bad news and stayed elevated for the rest of the day as he dealt with the sadness and heartache, showing how closely his emotions affected his physical state.
I used to believe that I was destined to be 350 pounds. That the psych medications I was required to take for my own well-being were surely the cause of my poor or uncontrolled eating. Everyone else had simply won a ‘health lottery’, but I had to struggle with my weight. I don’t really ever recall a time in my life where I would describe myself as thin (excluding the three years when I was in recovery with Overeaters Anonymous following a medical scare).
This year, I am taking the same medications that I have been on since 2009. I still travel in airports twice a month. I am not working out or exercising. I eat out in restaurants daily. I take naps on the weekends to recover the lost sleep from having two young children, a hectic work schedule, and to help with self care for my diagnosis. My life and food plan hasn’t changed.
I can attribute my new found weight loss to exactly one thing: awareness. After I became hyper-vigilant about everything that I consumed, I realized that for 10 years, when I said that I was following my food plan, I wasn’t even close.
Awareness is not only the key to my weight loss, but to my happiness, too. The same scenario that I have described with food also applies to my marriage, my parenting, my clients, my employees and my own well-being. The more I throw myself into The Happiness Formula of practicing Gratitude + Spirituality + Mindfulness = Awareness = Happiness™, the more I begin to experience a new level of daily living. My awareness removes my ability to use my diagnosis or any other excuse as a rationalization for not feeling well.
Remember that happiness isn’t always about feeling good. It is about being present and aware that you are empowered to make changes which affect the outcomes in your life!
And if you’re already experiencing low mood and lack of motivation, it’s OK to start slow and work up to it. The trick is to choose something you enjoy, pick a time of day when your energy is generally high and start moving.
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving–every day. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.
If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you’ll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.
Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field.
Learn how to:
– make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy);
– overcome a lack of motivation and willpower;
– design your environment to make success easier;
– get back on track when you fall off course;
…and much more.
Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits–whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.
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