8:30pm bedtime, 5am wake-ups...good/bad/interesting of forming new habits

WEEK #1

When I traded in suits for sweats last March, I noticed how easily bad habits crept in. Whether it was a piece of delicious homemade cake after dinner or hitting snooze and missing a morning workout...it became way to easy to get out of routine. Over the last few weeks I started writing down the various new (and unwelcomed) habits of my lockdown-life...and they unfortunately added up quickly. 

 Here's my list (sharing with all of you to take accountability and to ask for your help in holding me accountable):

- eating dessert after dinner

- sitting on the couch every night and watching tv

- choosing to sleep in and not work out in the morning

- looking at my phone first thing in the morning and before bed

This weekend I went searching for a book to help me build a game plan to tackle these habits. James Clear's Atomic Habits hit the spot (see below link). It's a solid 5 hour listen on Audible and his approach to focus on the systems behind the habits resonated with me big time.

The takeaway that stuck with me most (and there were several good ones):

• The concept of focusing on the system around a goal/habit; and taking small actions within that system that help lead to bigger outcomes that will eventually help build new habits. 

James Clear shares an example of an accomplished choreographer that held herself accountable every morning to wake up at 5:30am, get in a cab and say "the gym at 91st street please". The action of waking up and getting into the cab was the key...after that the morning workout would happen. This is a fantastic approach and here's how I plan to apply this approach to get back into the habit of working out in the morning before the kiddos wake up. 

• I will now fill up my water bottles and get my workout clothes ready the night before to reduce friction and decisions in the morning pre-workout.

By removing decisions in the morning when I'm groggy I will become someone that embraces the morning (by exercising with one my favorite Peloton instructors (what’s up Matt & Leanne!). In the weeks ahead, I'm keen to tackle the various other bad habits I listed above. First things first, morning workouts here I come (and today I started off on the right foot with a solid spin, bodyweight workout and stretch. 

Atomic Habits is a solid read and I highly recommend it from both a business + personal perspective. I found the majority of the examples relatable and I enjoyed the audio book. 

I'm going to commit to posting my progress each week for the next 3 weeks and encourage your comments, ideas and insights that have helped you form new habits. 

WEEK #2 PROGRESS REPORT

I'm now 11 days into the new early morning routine and overall it's going pretty well.

Likes

• I'm getting to bed early (8:30pm) and waking up at 5am ready to get after it
• My body is definitely adjusting to the new routine (currently a 7 out of 10)
• Feel great once I'm done the workout (by 6:30am) and ready to start the day

Challenges

• 5am (or 4:XX) is hard to see some mornings when I look at my clock
• The discipline to go to bed at 8:30pm has taken some getting used too
• Nailing down the morning pre-workout routine has taken some time

Lessons Learned:

• Along with filling up water bottles and laying out workout clothes, I started pre-building my workouts with the Peloton App (using Stacks) the night before. That way I can wake up and literally press "START".
• The snooze button is the enemy. I almost missed a morning workout because of the pesky snooze button. Moving forward, I'm going to move my phone away from my bedside table to reduce the urge/temptation to "snooze".

Looking forward to week #3 and sharing some more positive updates!

Have a great start to the week!