Health Transformation Challenge: Day 9

I had an amazing morning today at CrossFit -- it's happening!  I was able to keep up with everyone, knew where equipment was, and I even counted down the last part of someone's workout (and then she thanked me).  Holy guacamole, Batman!  I did not see that coming.  I still have some pain, but it is getting better and I even got a tip from the instructor to help (and it did!).  Today was a good day!

Today's health transformation challenge focuses on how we end up making choices inconsistent with our goals.  The challenge breaks down behavior chains that ultimately lead to those choices.  The good news is that if you break the chain anywhere along the line, you are going to have to create a new choice in it's place. 


We are challenged to identify some of our unhealthy behavior chains.  One that is such a struggle for me right now is my schedule.  Seriously, time management (or "lack-of-time" management as I like to call it) has never been difficult for me, but with my new full time health coaching, I find myself lost in my day.  (I seriously don't know how stay-at-home moms do it -- you are my heros!)  No longer do I have to keep track of my time in 0.1 hour increments and the freedom of working from home has created an increased sense of the need to accomplish ten times as much as I physically can.  It's a very strange and anxious-making feeling. 

The last few weeks have been really bad, but I feel like I may finally be settling into my groove.  We'll see at the end of the week.  My behavior chain for my schedule looks like this:

1. My to-do list grows all week long, and anything not complete by the end of the week is added to the following week (which creates a snowball effect);
2. I forget what I have on my list and commit to accomplish things;
3. Sundays I plan my week and realize I have too much on my task list;
4. I get anxious that I can't fulfill my commitments;
5. I decide I am going to work more efficiently than ever before (yes, I actually say that to myself as a solution to the previous issues in an empty attempt to break the chain);
6. I plan out Monday and realize the time each task takes is more time than I have in a day, so I move tasks to other days in the week;
7. I don't get done on Monday everything I commit to doing, so the remaining tasks move to the next day;
8. Rinse and repeat steps 6 and 7 for the other days of the week;
9. I don't take breaks and/or forget to eat and drink water because I get too busy;
10. I get stressed about being derailed from my health goals in an effort to make everything run smoothly;
11. I get up earlier and get less sleep to "add time" to my day; and
12. I think about avoiding exercise to "add time" to my day.

I was able to actually accomplish everything yesterday that I decided needed to be done.  That was the first day I was able to do that.  I am working on it again today and was successful.  Two days down.  Soon, I'll have some good habits for my schedule and it won't be so difficult to stay on track; it will be as natural as breathing!

If you need help breaking your behavior chains (or identifying them), please email me at HealthyandFitLife@gmail.com.