Fundamentals of Habit Change
"I used to hate running."
Said every current runner everywhere.
I have talked to many runners over the years. And the hardest thing about becoming a runner is starting. Usually, people will say something like:
It feels too hard
I don't know how to train properly
I don't have the time
I don't have the motivation
Ultimately, running is a habit. It requires showing up for yourself consistently. Yes, this consistency is what causes your body to adapt to running and get stronger, but it also spills over into other parts of your life too.
All habits get built on a trigger and reward system.
Trigger -> Behavior -> Reward
Once you understand how habits work, it gets easier to break down the trigger and reward system and get your inner self committed and doing it!
Here is an example:
Last fall, I decided I was going to make my bed every day when I got up in the morning. Yes, I know, it doesn't seem very interesting. I had just got a bit tired of going in my room all the time and seeing a messy pile of blankets, and every night fighting to find the sheet and get it in the right place when I crawled in bed.
My usual, unconscious morning routine was to get up, shower, then put the dogs out and make coffee. Get the dogs fed and get dressed and out the door. This was the routine that I needed to do in the morning, and I did it in the way that made me most comfortable.
In the first couple of weeks of making my bed, I did not remember every morning when I got up and scrambled to start my day. But inevitably, at some point, I would walk by the room, see the unmade bed (the TRIGGER), and be reminded to go in and put the blankets and pillows in the right place (the BEHAVIOR).
I began very quickly after starting to make the bed every day to appreciate how nice it felt to slip into bed at night when I was tired and not have to wrestle with the sheets and pillow to get them in the right place. (the REWARD)
After about a month of climbing into a nice tidy bed every night, I was consistently making my bed every morning when I got up. I would get up, shower, then go back and make my bed before getting the dogs up and out.
I will be honest with you here. There was a time that my house was always some level of barely controlled chaos. I felt that there were more important (read fun!) things to do than tidy and clean up. And I didn't have time to keep laundry organized, do the dishes, and make the bed!
What happened?
I have been making my bed every morning for six months now. I don't have to think about it anymore; it has become routine.
But a lot more has happened in those six months than just having a nice tidy bed to climb into every night.
My laundry gets washed once a week. And by washed, I mean washed, dried, folded, and put away. No more looking through piles of clean (or dirty, yeah it happens...) clothes to find the running shirt I need to wear because it's cold outside, or searching for my favorite pair of jeans.
The dishes are cleaned and put away at the end of the day. Not all the time, but most of the time. It is pretty nice in the morning to come out to my favorite coffee cup cleaned and in its place in the cupboard ready to be used.
Yup, I put that practice of learning to set new habits to use! And you know what? It wasn't nearly as challenging to learn to do my laundry and wash the dishes consistently as it was to learn to make that bed every day!
And the real outcome here it that I have more time for fun! When I know where everything is, and it is all tidy and taken care of, it is way easier to get out the door and do more fun things!!
How does this relate to running?
One of the most beautiful things about running is that by learning to set this habit, it has such an impact on the other parts of your life too.
Once you understand habits, and motivation, and deliberate practice, you can apply these to so many other aspects of your day. Doing the laundry on a regular schedule. Excelling at tasks at work that were once daunting. And getting the food purchasing and meal prep under control at home so you can free up more time for other, more important and more fun activities.
Most importantly, by setting a goal to run regularly, you are making a promise to yourself to take care of your health. You will have more confidence not only because you will physically feel better (more energy, happier, develop a positive body image). But you will have more confidence because you made a promise to yourself and kept it.
Making a promise to yourself and keeping it is one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself. And when you break it down into manageable chunks and address the core habits that will support that promise, you will be successful. You will keep that promise to yourself and ultimately change how you see yourself.
Leave a comment and let me know why you are looking to start running. I can't wait to cheer you on!!
Happy running,
Amanda