I have been struggling with my workout schedule. I keep saying that I want to get stronger. I need to start strength training. However, I never seem to make time for it. After telling my friend this last week, she reached out to me today and asked if it would be possible for me to commit to weight training for only 10 minute per day, 3 days this week. I said "yes, I can do that."
10 minutes of weight training for 3 days this week is a small enough goal that I know I will be successful. This made me think of the book Atomic Habits. The author, James Clear talks about how the power of small acts or habits can have a big impact on your life, both positive and negative.
"The impact created by changing your habits is similar to the effect of shifting the route of an aeroplane by just a few degrees. A slight change in your daily habits can guide your life to a different destination. Making a choice that is 1% better or 1% worse is insignificant in the moment. But over the span of moments that make up a lifetime, these choices determine the difference between who you are and who you could be." -James Clear
By just committing to a small habit, you are changing your identity. You are "programming" yourself to believe that you are a person who does (fill in the blank). In my case, by committing to strength training 3 days a week even for only 10 minutes, I am conditioning my brain into thinking that I am a person that works out by lifting weights. It's a subtle but big difference in how you perceive yourself.
So this week, I am committed to 10 minutes of strength training for 3 days. What about you? What small habits can you start this week?
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