Happy 2023 Legends.
We back baby!
Hope you all had a cracking break and are all refreshed and ready to get stuck into a new year.
I have been thinking over my break on what else I could be writing this year to add a bit of value and to keep it fresh. It only hit me once I came back to work. In our first whole org meeting our BDM Shannen proposed that weekly, one member of the team needs to make a recommendation. It could be a book, a movie, a cocktail or even a bloody holiday destination. It’s entirely up to them.
So I thought I would build on that and send out (when necessary) an ‘RecommendED ’…
To start is one of my reads from last year:
ATOMIC HABITS
I for one, have and do, form ordinary/bad habits. Leaving the dishes in the sink rather than cleaning them up straight away or putting them in the dishwasher. Coming back from a work trip and leaving my bag in the hallway or bedroom for weeks on end before doing anything with it. The list goes on.
Atomic Habits is one of my top 3 reads of 2022, due mainly to its simplicity and ease of implementation. The author James Clear talks about goal setting being an enemy in a way. When people set a goal, for example lose 5 kgs, they can change eating habits. I.e give up the grog, no sweets on weekdays, etc. They can also change exercise habits. For example, rather than just going for a walk with the dog 2 times a week, they can also go to the gym 3 days a week for an hour at a time and start playing a team sport on weekends. The downside to this is that once the goal is met people (not all the time but a majority) then feel that the job is done and slip back into the unhealthy habits and before they know it, all of their work has been reversed and they’ve smacked the weight back on.
What this book talks to is not about setting goals but forming better habits. The big lightbulb moment is HABIT STACKING! Yeah, bet you’ve never heard of that before have you! Let me explain. What habit stacking refers to is cycling through healthy habits one after another and “stacking” new habits on top of habits you already have.
Let’s use my new habit stacking as an example. My alarm goes off at 5:30 every weekday, I jump straight up (no snoozing you clown), head straight to the kitchen and mix up my pre workout cocktail, inhale that bad boy then clean up my cup and place on the drying rack, get changed for the gym, do my work out, return home to make breakfast, eat, clean up, then shower, brush my teeth and floss. I take my morning meds and then from there I’m on the couch for a 30 min read before work.
Sounds simple doesn't it but before I had read this, I would always miss a few things, like brushing my teeth or taking morning meds, possibly watch a bit of Karl on the telly rather than read. Either way there was no consistency. This book helped me change that.
I won’t give you all the answers but if you are wanting to quit smoking, reduce grog intake, workout more or simply eat more fruit in 2023 this book may be just what you need to help make those changes.
If you want to grab a copy here is the link - HERE
Happy reading,
ED
