Making change in your life can become a habit.
When you decide to make changes in your life it can be a good idea to do some things on a daily basis that give you energy and help you to look after yourself.
They are small things that you look forward to, things you want to do for yourself.
It's not about being selfish, it's about keeping your fuel tank topped up.
Or you can choose to do them just because they are nice things to do for yourself.
In my coach school we call these ''daily habits''.
This is a nice little daily routine that can help keep you energised, nurtured and moving forward.
What are the benefits from doing daily habits?
You have a healthy routine and you have some focus.
You're likely to have more energy and maintain a bit more balance in your life.
Last but by no means least, you feel good!
I suggest you choose five things to do each day.
Here are some ideas
• Thank one person a day.
• Eat a healthy breakfast.
• No television in the evening.
• Read something you really want to read.
• Spend an hour with your children.
• Offer to help someone.
• Go the extra mile for a client or customer.
• Drink decaf instead of caffeine.
• Be in bed by 10pm.
• Walk for 20-30 minutes each morning.
• Make your bed every morning.
• Go with your intuition at least once each day.
• Meditate for 20 minutes.
• Write in your journal.
• Take a bath with bath salts.
• Cut sugar out from your tea or coffee.
• Read the paper every day.
• Go through a relaxation exercise
COACHING TIPS
Choose habits you want to do - select daily habits that you look forward to and give you pleasure, but that you normally would forget to do most of the time without this type of focus. If it's something you think you ''should'' do then leave it out, it will just become a chore.
CHOOSE HABITS THAT GIVE YOU ENERGY
Most of the daily habits that actually work for people are the ones that add to the person's wellbeing or energy. It might mean that you do something like have five vegetables each day, or that you stop something such as watching television or eating after 7pm. Have a mix of ''doing'' habits and ''stopping'' habits.
MODIFY YOUR DAILY HABITS AS NEEDED
It might take some fine-tuning to have the daily habits that work best for you. If you find yourself not doing one or two of your habits, change or replace them with ones that come naturally; this is not meant to be difficult.
USE VISUAL HELP
If you are inspired or motivated by visual reminders, set up a chart, reminder in your phone, some sort of visual display to track your habits each day.
At the end of each week take five minutes to review your habits. What ones have you kept, what have you not got around to doing? Do you need to change any?
What impact have the habits you've kept had on you?Have some fun with this; enjoy doing something for yourself.
• Jan Aitken is a Dunedin-based life coach.
For more visit www.fitforlifecoaches.co.nz.
