Hello Reader!

Today I finally made it back to the CrossFit gym. The last time I went was back in March.

I love going to the local CrossFit gym. The people there are amazing and after the workout (though it kills sometimes) I feel amazing 97% of the time.

What probably triggered this fresh start was partially due to looking at one of my favorite books, Atomic Habits by James Clear. It made me internalize again the principles of starting a good habit or breaking a bad one. It's not rocket science. It's pretty simple actually.

Let's start with bad habits:

• Make it invisible – think hiding your gaming console or controller to make it harder to trigger a gaming session
• Make it difficult – put those cookies on the top shelf or in a locked safe
• Make it painful – make it less rewarding, think about the long term effect of the habit and the impact it has on your goals. Link the pain and discomfort to the habit.

For habits you want to start or nurture:

• Make it visible – put your running shoes near the door or in a place you will see regularly
• Make it easy – make it stupid easy to start. Simplify! Stack it onto other habits you already have. e.g. every time you take a break, fill up your water bottle
• Make it rewarding – how are you going to reward yourself for taking action. One thing I like to do after going to the gym is making a protein shake. Track your progress and celebrate the small wins... in light of that I'm celebrating that I went to the gym today! What will you celebrate?

Lastly take action. Make a schedule for your new habit. Name the place. This will increase your chances of doing the habit. e.g. I will go to the local gym 3x a week MWF at 5AM.

What habits will you start or break today?

'til next time my friend,

Paul Dittus
​Creative Director
​pauldittus.com | Dittus Solutions | Podcast​

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