Itz Holistically Wholesome

A good habit is a positive behavior that you continually practice until you become better at it. After a while, it becomes so ingrained inside you that you perform it without effort or thought. I have realized that once you are intentional about forming good habits, another usually follows it. Some good practices include exercising, eating well, drinking water, getting adequate rest, and reading, which consists of the word of God.

I had formed many bad habits over the years, and they needed to go if I ever wanted to create a better me. I was not reading half as much as I used to, spent too many hours idling my mind and time away on meaningless entertainment, stopped exercising altogether, and began eating fast food too often, to name a few. Before I knew it, I had piled on a few pounds and was unhappy with myself. I decided it was time to change, so I significantly shifted my lifestyle habits and choices a few years ago. Unfortunately, what I thought would be a grave challenge was not the case. Let me tell you, there is nothing that a made-up mind cannot accomplish. 

Indeed, some habits are more difficult to break than others, but once you keep at it, you will get there. For example, I knew I wanted to stop eating meat and its by-products and begin to eat more natural foods and exercise more. I went cold turkey for some things, but I decided to take it one step at a time when it came to what I enjoyed most. I wanted my result to be permanent because I had no intention of returning to where I started. The trick is to start with the bad habits you can easily let go of and not fall back into; in my case, certain meats were no longer enjoyable to me, so that’s where I started first. Pork and beef were my least favorite, so I gave that up effortlessly. It is important to note that when you give something up, what your replacement will be? Now I wanted to ensure that I still got my protein, so I started to have more beans and nuts. I also added a bowl of fresh salad or fruits to my day.

Chicken and fish lover

Mi did love chicken and fish bad. Chicken and fish were two of my FAVORITE things to eat, and I had them too often. I loved fried, curried, brown stewed chicken, also chicken cooked until it broke apart in the soup; oh, how yummy these dishes tasted. But, honestly, I had a bit of a struggle with chicken. For a while, I would still add gravy to my rice whenever I wanted to eat it. But gradually, thanks be to God, I got over it and stopped altogether. 

Fish was the last to go; I loved eating fish and could not get enough. I made excuses to keep eating fish because I could not imagine my diet without it. However, two things helped me eliminate fish from my diet; Firstly, I focused on adverse effects; for example, fish contains mercury which can lead to toxicity in the body. Secondly, I was on a roll and doing exceptionally well with my lifestyle goals. Since I had eliminated several things already, this motivated me to continue my path to a meat-free lifestyle. Before I knew it, I was eating 100% plant-based. 

Indeed, over the period, I had minor slip-ups, but I have been able to get back on track, and today I am stronger and healthier than before. The same goes for anything else that you desire to do in life. Begin with what you know will not be too challenging to give up. By doing this, you close the door to failure or the temptation to give up on your hopes of improving whatever aspect of your life you believe needs improvement and open doors for success and more positive habits, then another and another. So let us say that your goal is to be at a healthier weight; however, eating unhealthy food is your weakness and has contributed to your current weight gain, which you are uncomfortable with.

Conversely, you have always enjoyed walking even though you have not done so. Begin walking again daily or for at least three days per week. After a while, your love for walking will rekindle, and as your energy level peaks, you will begin to feel less sluggish compared to how you felt before when you were more sedentary. You may even notice that you move faster and walk more for extended periods. Another thing is that as you become more active, your weight will start to shed a few inches and pounds. These gains are your motivation to keep moving forward. As your self-confidence grows, so will your desire to do more for you because you love what is happening with your body internally and externally. Next, you focus on your diet by adding more nutritious foods for the best result. Combining exercise and proper nutrition works well together, and the results will be far more noticeable. With every progress, you will become more confident, and soon you may find yourself looking for other good habits as you slowly put away the bad ones.

The same principle applies to other habits you want to break or create to improve your life. It takes time, consistent effort, determination, and belief that you can achieve all you put your mind to. Change is sometimes hard, especially if we try to do it all simultaneously because we want fast results. But by starting with what is easier for you, you will see yourself forming one good habit after the next. As the famous phrase goes, “Rome was not built in a day.” so take your time and trust the process.

My further charge to you is to start to change your bad habits and replace them with good ones today. What do you have to lose?

Be bless!