Habits are important to getting things done.  Want to know how to create a new habit?

One recommended way is to attach it to something you are already doing.  I hired a coach years ago to hold me accountable and help me to accomplish more.  It was during a coaching session that I discovered an idea that truly changed my life for the better.

When I retired from my full-time job one of my most difficult transitions with that change was keeping myself physically active.  I had walked the halls during lunch or breaks for years.  That is what kept me feeling good – both physically and emotionally.  Activity increases energy level and mood.

But after retirement I spent a lot of time writing and working at the computer.  My part-time job required me to sit at a desk.  I tried several different ways to include regular activity in my schedule, but I just wasn’t able to maintain anything long-term.

In one of our sessions, I was sharing with my personal life coach that I wanted to start walking at least 10 minutes per day.  Then I said that I was sometimes out that long with my dog in the morning.  Then came the aha moment.  Instead of going out in the back yard in my pjs, I could put on clothes quickly before taking her out and walk her around the block rather than just standing in the yard waiting for her.

You see, I had heard someone recommend that if you want to start a new habit, to add it onto something you are already doing.  Just making that statement out loud to my coach helped me process this new idea!

I started walking or jogging 10 minutes or more regularly.  I felt so much better!  I have moved forward now into working out in a gym, but that small change in my routine – a new habit – made all the difference when I needed it.

What regular change can you make to improve your life?  Make it happen so you can live . . . your life to the fullest.