A SUCCESS STORY
This is how you can make new habits last!
Here are the 3 important areas for sustainable changes I guess you look upon yourself as just an ordinary person — an individual just like almost everyone else. Extraordinary in your own way, a unique human being walking on earth amongst seven billion other humans. Maybe you’re a reflective person, a thinker, one who likes to philosophize over large and small in life? Maybe one day, you’ve started thinking of this:
You’ve got a certain number of years left to live, probably approximately the number of years the statistics give a man or a woman of your age.
Let’s say you’re in the middle of your professional career. Or you are at the end of your work career. Maybe you’re not particularly unhappy with life. Maybe things are okay, for the most.
But there is one thing that bothers you. You are becoming increasingly conscious of that you are approaching an age where there’s more past than future. Much more past than future. That’s something there is little to do about. In fact, seemingly nothing. “So what?” you ask yourself. I want to try to find answers to this question. This story is a summary of my answers. Let’s say you’re a bit like me. Sooner or later, you’ll be there anyway. You are approaching retirement. You have lived a regular life, not very active. But somehow you’ve done some modest exercise, like walking for half an hour, once or twice a week. And perhaps biking a few times in spring, summer, and fall. And you’ve been hiking in the mountains a few times each year when you had time for it. You look upon yourself as reasonably fit, but you’re definitely not an athlete. Your body is in a not too bad condition, but you recognize — when you’re honest with yourself — that you could and should have done better. Is it too late?
In your mind, you’re perhaps less lazy. You do a lot of thinking. Certainly not very original thinking, but some of your thoughts are really se for your mind! Mental training should always be prioritized. Being mentally active can also prevent or reduce the negative effects of aging.
Reading, sewing, painting, exercise, writing, crosswords, chess, political engagement, photography, hiking, discussions — make the list longer to fit your needs and interests! The key is to have a passion, to be active mentally, keep your brain busy.
You are not in very good shape, physically, so you figure out that you should do something with your physical condition, your fitness.
You know that you, in the coming years — when you quit your paid job — will dispose of much more time that needs to be filled with meaning and activity.
You want to take your life situation more seriously, as you increasingly are becoming aware of the truth that everyone inherently knows in their heart and mind:
Life is limited. Your time is limited.
Departing from these simple acknowledgments you might develop, over some time, what will become your modus vivendi and your credo. Hereunder I suggest in three paragraphs a model for change and personal development that can turn out to be encouraging and sustainable: §1 Exercise and nutrition — a new lifestyle §2 Creative activities & mental training §3 Better focus on family/friends and your self
§1 Exercise and nutrition — a new lifestyle
Rule #1: Start with exercise, at first once a week, then do more
Your exercise program should be adapted to what are your most important objectives.
Do you need to strengthen your heart? Do exercise that makes you sweat, exercise that makes your breath and your pulse go quick. Do spinning (cycling), running, fast walking, hiking, biking.
Some exercises can be performed anywhere outdoor, others are preferable to do in a training center.
The duration of training sequences should be adapted to the type of training. In training centers the 60 minutes class is much used, for instance, Cycling, Power step, Shape up, Senior pulse, Yoga. Other classes last from 30 to 45 minutes: Indoor running, Performance Hi-intensity, Pure strength, etc.
You don’t have to go to a training center for exercise.
Some people prefer to go to a training center, partly because they have a paid membership, and they thus have an additional reason to get going. They have perhaps organized to meet a friend or a training buddy, they must show up for that reason, and it’s social.
You can very well do exercise without going to a training center.
When going to and from work, walking to the bus or the subway (maybe walking one or two additional stops to catch fresh air?)
Can you get out of the house, go for a walk half an hour or an hour in the afternoon or evening? Do this one evening this week! Then next week, and the week thereafter. Little by little, build new habits. After a few weeks, you can perhaps do this twice a week? Then you’ve got a new habit.
In Norway, we have a large Hikers Association where we on weekday evenings can go 1,5 to 2 hours for a hike in the mountains near the town. It is very friendly and social.
Running in the neighborhood.
Use the local possibilities. For instance — is there a steep path or street you can run or walk fast uphill?
Take the bike and go for an hour.
Get out of the home, MOVE! — The more, the better.
Rule #2: Combine exercise with healthy eating.
Be conscious about what you put into your body. You become what you eat. The quantity counts, don’t eat too big portions.
If you have weight control as a goal, your exercise program should definitely be linked to your weight program.
What is your ideal body fitness goal?
What is your weight goal?
Define your goals, and —
Do what you love to do! If you do what you love to do, that’s the most sustainable. This goes for habits. And it goes for lifestyle. Find your preferences. Do what you love to do. This applies to everything. Exercise, healthy eating, emotional and social life.
§2 Creative activities & mental training Being active is good for everything — body, and mind! Being active physically is good for your body and for your mind! Mental training should always be prioritized. Being mentally active can also prevent or reduce the negative effects of aging. Everyone should find her or his passions. Reading, sewing, painting, exercise, writing, crosswords, chess, political engagement, photography, hiking, discussions — make the list longer to fit to your needs and interests! The key is to have a passion, to be active mentally, keep your brain busy.
§3 Better focus on family/friends and your self
Your life is a whole. All parts are linked together, the way you experience your life is the sum of all the different parts.
For this reason, everything counts. Family, friends, workplace, career.
If you live alone, you need some friends or at least one good friend.
If you don’t have close friends, you need to be your own best friend. You need to connect with yourself and build meaning in your existence.Cultivate your interests, focus on what you are passionate about.
Take good care of your family
— which essentially means taking good care of your relationship with the nearest ones. In some cases, things are not good in the family. One or several family members take too much space, dominate, make poorer or even kills the emotional and mental structures that normally link the members of the family together.
All family members have shared a responsibility to create a good and healthy emotional and mental climate in the family.
It’s about communication, connection, dialogue.
All members of the family should be good listeners and good speakers. This means to be able to hear and see when another family member says something that is important to her/him — with words or in body language.
We should always take the other seriously when the person tells us something. And we should always be earnest when speaking about serious things. Likewise, we should be able to hear what is not said with a maximum of seriousness. We should be able to smile and laugh — have fun together!
After all, you must, first of all, rely on yourself.
That’s, in my opinion, the life lesson number one.
If you take this seriously, there are some important consequences. You should probably stop doing a number of things that are not beneficial:
Stop letting others decide details in your life.
Stop letting others tell you what to do and what not to do. (You can hear what they say — okay. But you don’t have to let them govern your life.)
Stop letting others tell you (openly or in a manipulating manner) that you’re not good enough.
Start listening to the voice of wisdom inside of you.
Start in your mind making the plan for your life. Where do you want to be, emotionally, mentally and in the physical sense? Think of how you can get there, step by step.
Cultivate your passions! Get going with regular exercise. Eat and drink healthy! Then new habits can change your life! Then you can experience lasting lifestyle changes!
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