February 2023 Week 4

Here are some interesting stats I heard from a homily by Fr Mike at Hallow:
40% of people create a New Years resolution.
23% of the 40% quit after the 1st week, 2nd Friday in January is referred to as “quitters day.”
45% quit at end of January.

Here we are now at the end of February, did you have a New Years resolution? If so, have you stuck with it? If not, why?

I have a theory on the “why” we don’t stick with our resolutions or our desires to change our actions and I spoke of this in the cleanse this month. We often make goals and we focus on the outcome or the process but we forget one important piece to make the change stick - too few of us have what James Clear calls “identity based habits” - which is a way of seeing oneself and what we believe about ourselves. For example, I am the kind of person who…….loses weight, I am the kind of person who loves to work out, I am the kind of person who nourishes myself with healthy meals and thoughts. When we see ourselves in a new way, we have a better chance of sticking with the changes or goals we create for ourselves. Rather than focusing on outcomes or the process, can we ask ourselves: what do I believe in myself?
Here we have to ask ourselves 2 questions:
-what kind of person do I want to be?
-how can I prove this to myself with small wins, small right actions?
If we can intentionally choose, we will keep our identity at the heart of our resolutions.

Our intention this month is - I am nourished, calm and content. If you were to incorporate this into your being does it make sense to first ask yourself what it looks like to you to be nourishing yourself based on who you are or who you want to be? Today in class we used our breath to calm and center ourselves. What kind of person are you? Do you see value in nourishing yourself? If so, how? Clean meals, hydration, movement, rest, breath work? These are all actions, but let them come from a place that is connected to you and who you are. Use your breath, calm yourslef, connect with yourself.
Everyday let’s remind ourselves of who we are, remembering that we get to choose what kind of person we want to be. From this place of self we can form “identity based habits” that are nourishing and have a better chance of sticking!!
Finish out this month with connecting to you and what total self nourishment looks like and maybe you will come away with some small actions to support your nourishment.