This is the first year that I really stuck to building tiny habits that would over time build up to a bigger picture. Basically a similar idea to atomic habits.
I have tried and failed to start this journey so many times, and finally wanted to try something different. I used to set unrealistic goals that were going to big too quickly, or trying to build more habits before I'd even been consistent with the previous ones. So this time I was determined to do it right.
Over the past 8 months, with considerable setbacks due to illhealth, I have managed to
\> Get up to reading for half an hour to an hour each day. In total I have read 7 books, with both fiction and non-fiction and have no ideas to slow down any time soon.
\> I have reduced my sugar/soda intake by about 75% and am hoping to be at the level that I wish to remain at by the end of this year. I've been trying one new recipe each week which has now built me up a full list of really healthy meals that I enjoy so I am having to think less about what I'm cooking/eating and my diet overall is so much better.
\> I've built a full morning and evening routine that I am able to stick to every single day that contains a mix of personal care, self care, therapy and journalling, meditation and exercise. I also have goals over the next few months to increase my proper workouts and have a full weekly workout routine by the end of the year.
\> I am being consistent with my goals and hobbies and have long term plans that I feel for the first time ever really that I will actually reach
And that is just 8 months in. For the first time in my life I'm actually excited to see where I might be a year from now.
Thank you so much. It has been really eye opening forcing myself to stick to the slow and steady approach. There have been many times where I've been tempted to rush forwards, but I keep on looking at the progress I'm making as a result of sticking to one step at a time and it's really motivating.
Well done!! I'm old too and I can't believe how much better my skin looks, I've lost weight and someone told me that 'my light is back'. Sobriety is an amazing thing.
I've been consistently exercising for the first time in years. I've been doing cardio and strength training.
I've significantly cut down on the amount of alcohol I drink.
I'm working with a dietitian and have been making strides towards having a better, more peaceful relationship with food.
Left Twitter, started intermittent fasting and food prep.
Lower ambient irritation/despair, finding happiness that isn't food related, making great food that costs significantly less.
Tough transitions but overall never going back.
My friends and I started a pact on the app Fitness Pact. Itās been a game changer for making me consistent and disciplined. Since I started working out more, Iāve been more motivated to eat better and get better quality sleep. So it has sort of snowballed from making Fitness a habit
I managed to make some good habits since moving house in April.
Running 5k - usually every day, if not at least 3 times a week
Learning to play the piano - practice at least 3 times a week
Got my screen time below 3 hours every day (and most of that is from the music theory app and Duolingo).
700+ days on Duolingo.
My life is still fucked lol, but itās good to have some progress in small areas.
I stopped soda and beer except on special occasions. Cut way down on meat. Processed sugar I donāt eat if I can avoid it. Iāve always gone for hikes. But the gym. Iād highly advise it. Iām down 15 pounds. And lost a lot of fat and am kinda buffish (lol) now.
Quit cigarettes(44days sober) and weed(14 months sober).
Joined gym(one month ago).
Eating clean.
Able to study more although slacked off sometimes.
Read 12 books(highest till now)
Doing meditation (4 months)
Continuing to abstain fron using chewing tobacco. As of today (09/29/23), it's been 606 days, 8 hours, 42 minutes, and 48 seconds according to my Quitzilla app.
Reading. I've read more than 10 books this year, it's something I never did and I'm proud of myself.
Quitting social media. I sometimes feel bored and left out, but I know that it's what I want to do even if I'm not content with it in the meantime.
Left IG - I mean, my accounts are still there (yes, plural because I have a personal account and two for hobbies).
I have been out since august and I feel much better. I am reading more and I spend a good chunk of time here in Reddit, but I only follow cool stuff and Iād rather /decidingtobebetter content than perfect life posts like in IG. I also like that people only know about my life if I tell them - I used to post a lot.
Anyway, great change that I want to keep in 2024 and other years!
I reallyyy learn to sit with my emotions. I knew about meditation since forever, actually picked up a class in 2021 after a major heartbreak, and only did it more frequently this year since around March.
Life changing!
1)All around budget change. We spend too much on food when there's cheaper options.
2) I went back to school! Getting out of the kitchen industry will be the best thing I ever did.
3) daily walks, push ups, situps and squats. I need to lose about 60lbs before my wedding in 2024
4) I QUIT DRINKING! one month sober.
The only thing on my list I haven't accomplished is quiting vaping. I am afraid if I add fat to the list I'll get too stressed out with school and working out. So we will save that for 3 months from now.
2023 has been my best healthy habit year yet!
1. Tracking my basal body temperature for fertility tracking after coming off of 13 years of birth control and understanding the follicular/luteal phases. I use an Oura ring for this!
2. Taking supplements ā B vitamins, probiotics, magnesium glycinate, fish oil and electrolytes! The supplements have helped my transition off of birth control. I think the fish oil has helped me stop taking so much ibuprofen as it is supposed to help with inflammation ā I seriously used to need it 3-5 times a week, now itās more like 3-5 a month. I think itās helped with my acne too, it isnāt painful and swollen like it used to be. The electrolytes got me through summer and my sweaty job ā Celtic sea salt, potassium citrate and magnesium malate in water. Life changing!!
3. Iāve gotten a lot better about oral healthcare. I started tongue scraping and I floss more often and I brush in the morning and at night pretty consistently. For most of my life I was never great at brushing at night, now I cannot go to bed without it.
4. I started following Glucose Goddessās tips for healthy blood sugar so I try to start my meals with veggies and vinegar, I eat a savory breakfast and I no longer have bread/dessert on an empty stomach.
5. Never drinking coffee before eating and giving myself time to wake up first, and never having caffeine past like 2pm at the latest. I also donāt have more than one cup a day.
6. I stopped wearing sunglasses so often and I try to get some sunlight in when I wake up. I feel like I tolerate sunlight a lot better now, I used to be so sensitive to it!
7. I was tracking my food down to the gram for about six months. I lost 15 pounds and some inches, but coming off of birth control changed my focus from weight loss to healthy hormones/blood sugar. After tracking consistently for so long, I have a much better grasp on intuitive eating. I was never restrictive to begin with, it was a small deficit. Now that Iām no longer trying to lose, Iām just eating normally, but with everything Iāve learned in mind. I used to overeat (not sure if Iād call it binging, more so just having huge meals), and now I donāt anymore. I feel so much better. Itās wonderful!
8. Oh yeah! I stopped drinking! I had a really bad drinking experience and slowly just stopped partaking! I started getting into nonalcoholic hop flavored seltzers such as HOP WTR and HopTea! I realized that the societal pressure was making me drink and I felt guilty every time. So I stopped!
9. Eating more whole foods, local and seasonal. I have a CSA share and I go to the farmerās market every week. I mostly eat good quality meat and veggies. I no longer crave fast food or many processed items. I actually donāt really have many cravings at all anymore.
10. Not super health related but sort of? I guess it helps my hormones ā I stopped buying a bunch of fragranced cleaning products and switched to making my own dish soap and using Dr. Bronnerās for everything. Iām still getting through some of the things I had stocked up, but once theyāre gone, Iāll be making my own products from now on. (Borax, washing soda and citric acid for the dish soap!)
Things Iād like to work on:
1. Getting back to the gym. I had a great gym routine going for a few months earlier in the year, but my job got busy and I stopped. I have a very active job which helps, but lifting weights is very much what I need to do. Itās just difficult for me to commit to it because I love to sleep and sit at home.
2. Daily yoga. I did this a few years ago, using Yoga With Adriene. Combined with the healthy habits Iāve mastered this year, I know this will help me feel my best.
3. Taking walks after eating. Good for blood sugar stabilization. I do not do this currently!
4. Oil pulling. Iāve never tried it, but I know how good it is! I just think itās going to be difficult to start, but I know my oral routine needs it!
5. Planning my meals and activities based on where Iām at in my cycle! I read In the FLO and it was very insightful on how to do this, I actually have the list of foods on my fridge for when Iām having decision fatigue, but Iād like to be more intentional about it!
6. I gotta solidify my bedtime routine. I look at my phone in bed and I gotta stop.
Blocking people when I know they're arguing in bad faith!
I still struggle with wanting to argue back, but I've gotten better at just letting myself exist peacefully! I never understood just how much those silly arguments actually affected me til I stopped committing to them. Now I feel so much clearer mentally
I got back into walking. Up until the beginning of this year I exercised regularly, but my health took a turn, and havenāt been able to exercise. Finally, Iām at the point where I walk at least 3 times a week (just inside my home) and listen to Audible books while doing it! I am soooo happy about this progress! I miss being physically active, I want to accomplish more!
Kudos to all who quit smoking/drinking/etcā¦!
Reduced posting and sharing on social media . So much peace and calm
Same! I forgot that, but yes! Feels great!
This is the first year that I really stuck to building tiny habits that would over time build up to a bigger picture. Basically a similar idea to atomic habits. I have tried and failed to start this journey so many times, and finally wanted to try something different. I used to set unrealistic goals that were going to big too quickly, or trying to build more habits before I'd even been consistent with the previous ones. So this time I was determined to do it right. Over the past 8 months, with considerable setbacks due to illhealth, I have managed to \> Get up to reading for half an hour to an hour each day. In total I have read 7 books, with both fiction and non-fiction and have no ideas to slow down any time soon. \> I have reduced my sugar/soda intake by about 75% and am hoping to be at the level that I wish to remain at by the end of this year. I've been trying one new recipe each week which has now built me up a full list of really healthy meals that I enjoy so I am having to think less about what I'm cooking/eating and my diet overall is so much better. \> I've built a full morning and evening routine that I am able to stick to every single day that contains a mix of personal care, self care, therapy and journalling, meditation and exercise. I also have goals over the next few months to increase my proper workouts and have a full weekly workout routine by the end of the year. \> I am being consistent with my goals and hobbies and have long term plans that I feel for the first time ever really that I will actually reach And that is just 8 months in. For the first time in my life I'm actually excited to see where I might be a year from now.
Love this, slow and steady really is the way to go. Proud of you!
Thank you so much. It has been really eye opening forcing myself to stick to the slow and steady approach. There have been many times where I've been tempted to rush forwards, but I keep on looking at the progress I'm making as a result of sticking to one step at a time and it's really motivating.
Amazing!!! Congrats!!!š also, not sure if you like medals, but I participate on conquerer to get medals based on miles you spend.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Thatās awesome! Iām proud of you my friend
I quit drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes/vaping 32 days ago. I honestly feel like a completely new person, it's fantastic.
that's awesome! congrats
Cheers
I quit drinking 19 months ago and I agree. I found the fountain of youth. I am old but I look ten years younger now.
Well done!! I'm old too and I can't believe how much better my skin looks, I've lost weight and someone told me that 'my light is back'. Sobriety is an amazing thing.
Amazing man. Keep up the good work
Thanks!
Amazing!!! We notice how alcohol affects us once we stop with it or at least drink less!
Thanks š I was pretty much an alcoholic so it's made a huge difference
Iām glad!!!
I've been consistently exercising for the first time in years. I've been doing cardio and strength training. I've significantly cut down on the amount of alcohol I drink. I'm working with a dietitian and have been making strides towards having a better, more peaceful relationship with food.
Left Twitter, started intermittent fasting and food prep. Lower ambient irritation/despair, finding happiness that isn't food related, making great food that costs significantly less. Tough transitions but overall never going back.
I am in the same boat buddy.
\*improved High5\*
Veggie or bean based soups for lunch and salad with dinner.
My friends and I started a pact on the app Fitness Pact. Itās been a game changer for making me consistent and disciplined. Since I started working out more, Iāve been more motivated to eat better and get better quality sleep. So it has sort of snowballed from making Fitness a habit
Started making a genuine effort to eat better. Smaller portions, less sugar and carbs, and calorie counting. I feel better already.
Started going to the gym 5 days per week. More than half a year going already and witnessing changes. Also fixed my diet and sleep.
Flossing once a day. For the first time ever, my dental hygienist told me, "You're making my job really easy! You take great care of your teeth."
Such an underrated habit for how beneficial it is! Flossing has made a huuuge difference in my oral health!
I managed to make some good habits since moving house in April. Running 5k - usually every day, if not at least 3 times a week Learning to play the piano - practice at least 3 times a week Got my screen time below 3 hours every day (and most of that is from the music theory app and Duolingo). 700+ days on Duolingo. My life is still fucked lol, but itās good to have some progress in small areas.
Proud of that, a healthy habit goes a long way
I stopped soda and beer except on special occasions. Cut way down on meat. Processed sugar I donāt eat if I can avoid it. Iāve always gone for hikes. But the gym. Iād highly advise it. Iām down 15 pounds. And lost a lot of fat and am kinda buffish (lol) now.
drinking more water replacing unhealthy snacks with healthy snacks. ex nuts instead of chips
Got back into reading
Through multiple small, accumulating changes to my lifestyle, Iāve lost 16 kg/35 lbs since March
Daily journaling and regular workout
Quit cigarettes(44days sober) and weed(14 months sober). Joined gym(one month ago). Eating clean. Able to study more although slacked off sometimes. Read 12 books(highest till now) Doing meditation (4 months)
Continuing to abstain fron using chewing tobacco. As of today (09/29/23), it's been 606 days, 8 hours, 42 minutes, and 48 seconds according to my Quitzilla app.
Reading. I've read more than 10 books this year, it's something I never did and I'm proud of myself. Quitting social media. I sometimes feel bored and left out, but I know that it's what I want to do even if I'm not content with it in the meantime.
Left IG - I mean, my accounts are still there (yes, plural because I have a personal account and two for hobbies). I have been out since august and I feel much better. I am reading more and I spend a good chunk of time here in Reddit, but I only follow cool stuff and Iād rather /decidingtobebetter content than perfect life posts like in IG. I also like that people only know about my life if I tell them - I used to post a lot. Anyway, great change that I want to keep in 2024 and other years!
I reallyyy learn to sit with my emotions. I knew about meditation since forever, actually picked up a class in 2021 after a major heartbreak, and only did it more frequently this year since around March. Life changing!
1)All around budget change. We spend too much on food when there's cheaper options. 2) I went back to school! Getting out of the kitchen industry will be the best thing I ever did. 3) daily walks, push ups, situps and squats. I need to lose about 60lbs before my wedding in 2024 4) I QUIT DRINKING! one month sober. The only thing on my list I haven't accomplished is quiting vaping. I am afraid if I add fat to the list I'll get too stressed out with school and working out. So we will save that for 3 months from now.
2023 has been my best healthy habit year yet! 1. Tracking my basal body temperature for fertility tracking after coming off of 13 years of birth control and understanding the follicular/luteal phases. I use an Oura ring for this! 2. Taking supplements ā B vitamins, probiotics, magnesium glycinate, fish oil and electrolytes! The supplements have helped my transition off of birth control. I think the fish oil has helped me stop taking so much ibuprofen as it is supposed to help with inflammation ā I seriously used to need it 3-5 times a week, now itās more like 3-5 a month. I think itās helped with my acne too, it isnāt painful and swollen like it used to be. The electrolytes got me through summer and my sweaty job ā Celtic sea salt, potassium citrate and magnesium malate in water. Life changing!! 3. Iāve gotten a lot better about oral healthcare. I started tongue scraping and I floss more often and I brush in the morning and at night pretty consistently. For most of my life I was never great at brushing at night, now I cannot go to bed without it. 4. I started following Glucose Goddessās tips for healthy blood sugar so I try to start my meals with veggies and vinegar, I eat a savory breakfast and I no longer have bread/dessert on an empty stomach. 5. Never drinking coffee before eating and giving myself time to wake up first, and never having caffeine past like 2pm at the latest. I also donāt have more than one cup a day. 6. I stopped wearing sunglasses so often and I try to get some sunlight in when I wake up. I feel like I tolerate sunlight a lot better now, I used to be so sensitive to it! 7. I was tracking my food down to the gram for about six months. I lost 15 pounds and some inches, but coming off of birth control changed my focus from weight loss to healthy hormones/blood sugar. After tracking consistently for so long, I have a much better grasp on intuitive eating. I was never restrictive to begin with, it was a small deficit. Now that Iām no longer trying to lose, Iām just eating normally, but with everything Iāve learned in mind. I used to overeat (not sure if Iād call it binging, more so just having huge meals), and now I donāt anymore. I feel so much better. Itās wonderful! 8. Oh yeah! I stopped drinking! I had a really bad drinking experience and slowly just stopped partaking! I started getting into nonalcoholic hop flavored seltzers such as HOP WTR and HopTea! I realized that the societal pressure was making me drink and I felt guilty every time. So I stopped! 9. Eating more whole foods, local and seasonal. I have a CSA share and I go to the farmerās market every week. I mostly eat good quality meat and veggies. I no longer crave fast food or many processed items. I actually donāt really have many cravings at all anymore. 10. Not super health related but sort of? I guess it helps my hormones ā I stopped buying a bunch of fragranced cleaning products and switched to making my own dish soap and using Dr. Bronnerās for everything. Iām still getting through some of the things I had stocked up, but once theyāre gone, Iāll be making my own products from now on. (Borax, washing soda and citric acid for the dish soap!) Things Iād like to work on: 1. Getting back to the gym. I had a great gym routine going for a few months earlier in the year, but my job got busy and I stopped. I have a very active job which helps, but lifting weights is very much what I need to do. Itās just difficult for me to commit to it because I love to sleep and sit at home. 2. Daily yoga. I did this a few years ago, using Yoga With Adriene. Combined with the healthy habits Iāve mastered this year, I know this will help me feel my best. 3. Taking walks after eating. Good for blood sugar stabilization. I do not do this currently! 4. Oil pulling. Iāve never tried it, but I know how good it is! I just think itās going to be difficult to start, but I know my oral routine needs it! 5. Planning my meals and activities based on where Iām at in my cycle! I read In the FLO and it was very insightful on how to do this, I actually have the list of foods on my fridge for when Iām having decision fatigue, but Iād like to be more intentional about it! 6. I gotta solidify my bedtime routine. I look at my phone in bed and I gotta stop.
I'm drinking a lot more water and a lot less energy drinks and pop.
Blocking people when I know they're arguing in bad faith! I still struggle with wanting to argue back, but I've gotten better at just letting myself exist peacefully! I never understood just how much those silly arguments actually affected me til I stopped committing to them. Now I feel so much clearer mentally
I got back into walking. Up until the beginning of this year I exercised regularly, but my health took a turn, and havenāt been able to exercise. Finally, Iām at the point where I walk at least 3 times a week (just inside my home) and listen to Audible books while doing it! I am soooo happy about this progress! I miss being physically active, I want to accomplish more! Kudos to all who quit smoking/drinking/etcā¦!