Day 18 ❍ From Quitter to Creator: Your Habit-Building Blueprint

Did you know there’s something called the ‘Quitter Date’? It’s the day most people give up on their New Year’s resolutions—typically around January 16th.

But instead of dwelling on that, let’s focus on something more empowering: the ‘Wake-Up Date.’ Life is all about getting back up when we fall. To think we’ll never stumble or fall is a fiction—but every time we rise, we grow stronger.

So, let’s gooooooooo, yogis!

“We fall to the level of our system of our habits.”
— James Clear

Doing a challenge like this naturally builds a system for healthy habits—one of the many reasons I love it so much. Today, we’ll focus on creating personal systems to integrate healthy habits into our lives for the long term.  Referring to James Clear’s insightful, breakout book, Atomic Habits, let’s look at his Four Laws of Behavior Change and practical tools for applying them:

  1. Make it Obvious

  2. Make it Appealing

  3. Make it Easy

  4. Make it Satisfying

JOURNAL

By putting pen to paper, you can develop your personal habit plan. Follow the journal prompts below to build a system that works for you.

Step 1: Write down a habit you’d like to integrate into your life.

    • Why do you want to cultivate this habit?

    • What benefits will it bring to you and/or others?

Step 2: Align your desired habit with the Four Laws:

    • Make it Obvious: Pair your habit with something you already do—this is called ‘habit stacking’. For example, “After brushing my teeth, I will meditate for one minute.” Set reminders or alerts, and automate where possible.

    • Make it Appealing: Use ‘temptation bundling’—pair your habit with a reward. For instance, “After meditating for 10 minutes, I’ll enjoy my coffee,” or “After finishing my work task, I’ll watch my favorite show.” Pairing habits with dopamine-boosting activities increases the likelihood of success.

    • Make it Easy: Keep the habit simple and achievable. Repetition is key to building any habit so make it easy.  Small wins add up. If 20 minutes of exercise feels overwhelming, start with 2 minutes. But do it every day.  If your goal is to improve your finances, use an app like Mint to track them & have that website in your bookmarks.  If you plan to work out, sign up for class in advance & pick out your workout clothes the night before.  If you want to eat healthy, do meal prep once/week to make it easier to eat those healthy meals.

    • Make it Satisfying: Create a reward system. For example, save money by limiting how often you order take out. Calculate an average price for a meal ordered verses a meal cooked at home.  Every time you skip that urge to order out, deposit that ‘savings per meal’ into a ‘vacation account’ through your banking system.  Non-monetary rewards, like texting an accountability partner about your wins, can also reinforce success.

ACTION

Return to The First 5 Things You Do Each Day - Create a conscious choice for how you start your day.  Before looking at your phone for texts, emails, or social media, try doing 5 things that start your day off right.  Here are a few suggestions:

  • think ‘thank you’ before you open your eyes in the morning

  • drink warm/hot lemon water (20-30 minutes before you have coffee or tea)

  • make your bed

  • get some lovin’ - hugs/kisses/sex

  • step outside for at least 5 minutes to get natural light exposure

  • light a candle

  • pull an angel card

  • have uplifting/calming music play instead of the tv

  • meditate/pray

  • yoga/breath work

  • tongue scraping, brush your teeth

  • oil pulling

  • dry brushing

  • take a cold shower

  • take your medication

  • journal

  • think something kind about someone you will be seeing

  • do your numbers - keep track of of your income/spending

  • feed your kids

  • walk your dog

“Be with those who help your being. ”
— Rumi

RECIPE INSPO

Ashwaganda Fat Bombs

I know, I know. This sounds like the name of something you might find at MedMen. But, this is all natural and ashwaganda is a wonderful adaptogen that can help you down regulate cortisol in your body. I would suggest this later in the day or as a possible meal replacement in the evening. Maybe even bookmark it for a warm summer evening.

 

Contest 🏆

Attend all 21 classes in 21 days, and you’ll be entered to win an exciting prize! On livestream days, you can participate live or complete the session on demand—it all counts.

On Demand Video ✨ Your 30-minute practice will be posted at 12:00 AM each morning.

Did you know, did you know? Tomorrow is the most important class to come to! You’re doing amazing. 

Next Livestream Class: 🌟 Saturday, January 18th 🧘🏻‍♀️ 9:30 AM *with special guest, Yotam Agam playing a LIVE Soundscape during class!