Three Weeks to Better Habits

As the month comes to an end, I have been reflecting on the goals I set for myself – some completed, some planned, and some forgotten – and suddenly feel overwhelmed (in the best way) with how different life can look over the course of three weeks.

I shared in my February goal post that one of the things I was going to tackle this month (along with my husband) was building a foundation for healthier habits by completing The 21 Day Fix fitness and nutrition program. My intentions for the goal were to explore healthier food options to put into my body, increase my daily water intake, reconnect with how my body moves, cut out refined sugar, and see how all of this affects how I feel (not look). Did I succeed? Oh baby.

I want to share a little about it because I can honestly say that I feel renewed, refreshed, and changed after three (short) weeks of self-discipline. I loved the program, but this post is not about the specifics of that program and why you should try it, blah blah blah. I more so want to take an opportunity to share about the experience of empowerment that it inspired in me – body, mind, and spirit – and how those three weeks of habit building have turned into a fresh perspective in my life, my relationship with my husband, and the way I connect to my own body.

To start, my intentions were all met. We were forced to cut out our reliance on take-out for quick meals and focus on the proper size of food portions before stuffing our bodies. We bought and ate a lotof vegetables. We never once felt like we were choking anything down. It forced me to get creative with cooking and we established a new routine for breakfast and dinner that allowed us to spend more time together at the table. Huge win.

With the food tracking came water tracking too and I came to realize how drastically a bit of dehydration actually affects how I’m feeling. I established a routine for filling up my big water cup which helped keep me on track throughout the day and the excess water helped me kick some unhealthy drink habits, like reaching for an afternoon soda when what I’m actually craving is some sustenance. Another win.

When it came to reconnecting with how my body moves – literally one of the best wins from the experience. I have always despised exercising and quite honestly, I still do. But we created a routine of waking up before both the sun and the baby to get our workout in together and it has changed the way I think about exercise. I dread getting out of bed but once I start moving my body I feel invigorated and ready to devote those short thirty minutes to becoming stronger for myself. And once it’s over, the rest of the day is there to unfold and I feel ready for it. 

Cutting out refined sugar was something I’ve been desperate to do and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. Yes, I craved it occasionally. Yes, I still ate birthday cake at my mom’s birthday dinner. Yes, it was delicious. But yes, I can survive without it. It’s fine in moderation and as if I didn’t already know this, there are other, equally as delicious, options (maple syrup is my life). Win.

And my final intention of truly examining how all of these changes affect how I feel (not look) – completely life changing. The first few days I was hungry. The first few days I was sore. The first few days I struggled to motivate myself – is this really worth it? On day four, I woke up and felt less bloated. I felt more energized. I felt eager to eat something truly satisfying for my body’s needs. I felt encouraged to keep pushing. By day fourteen I felt strong. I felt excited to face new challenges. I felt inspired to take control of other aspects of my life.

So we did. 

This experience was not just to get fit or to lose weight or start and stop a program just so we could say we did it. This experience was the perfect push we needed to shake up the way we do things. To change the way we are living our lives. To not settle for sacrificing our health so we can pursue other things with our time. We realized, above all else, that it is all connected. Our motivation, effectiveness, productivity, inspiration, attitude, relationships, passions, drive, bodies, willpower, and joy are all connected. Taking control of this aspect of ourselves has motivated us to take control of so many other aspects of ourselves. These habits built over three short weeks have pushed us to live a better life.

And to live it together. Obviously, to a degree, a challenge like this is a personal experience, but we decided to take it on together and we were both fully committed. We used each other’s gifts to support and encourage one another and I can’t even tell you how it has benefited our marriage. We have had so many incredible conversations through the process and have tackled other goals in our relationship, finances, home, and family as a result, not to mention the fact that it has allowed us to make a routine that involves spending more alone time together. We encouraged each other to push through our workouts, we prepared and ate our breakfast together, and we had a full two hours to simply be together before we parted ways for the rest of the day. Talk about a great way to fuel the rest of your day.

I’m not trying to push this particular program by sharing our experience (although I did love it and would recommend it), because with everything else, you need to find what works for you. But what I am trying to push is the truth shining through this all that being intentional about setting a goal and seeing it through can completely change the way you live your life. Building new habits can change the way you live your life. Choosing to see your health as an integrated part to the rest of yourself can absolutely change the way you live your life. And through all of that – that you ultimately are the one that changes how you live your life. 

Find a goal and chase it, whether for three days, three weeks, or three months. It’s worth every second.