Pursuit of Wellness - How To Build Small Habits That Will Change Your Life

Starting point is 00:00:00 This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast and I'm your host, Mari Llewellyn. Hi guys, welcome back to another solo episode. It's just me and you chilling today and I am here to give you some tangible tips that you can apply to your life to become a better version of you. We're still in the early days of 2024. And I know we're all kind of thinking about ways we can improve ourselves, our lives, optimize our routines. So I want to come here and give you guys some advice, things that I've used in my life on my fitness journey in my career, things that have really helped me along the way. So I hope you're enjoying these solos, by the way, let me know what you think. And as always, if you're listening, do not forget to hit follow, subscribe, leave a review. It

Starting point is 00:00:50 really, really, really helps me and it means the whole world. So today we're talking about how to create a habit. They say that if you change your habits, you change your life. And I really, really stand behind this. And this is a concept that I've been really focused on at the moment because I'm reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. Because one habit I'm implementing this year is reading more. And it has already taught me so much. And also, it's given me a lot of clarity about my weight loss journey in 2017 and why it actually worked. I think sometimes I'm even like, how did I accomplish such a big goal? And when I look back, it really was due to my habits. And I feel like a lot of us have really big goals for the new year. But the question is, how do we

Starting point is 00:01:38 actually get there? It's all about habits. I really feel like our habits define who we are and it can change who we are. But I know it's a lot easier said than done. It's like, okay, great. Healthy habits are fantastic, but how do you actually go about implementing them? I think a lot of people think, you know, with my weight loss journey that I had an epiphany and just decided to lose 90 pounds and become an entrepreneur. Even when I do podcast interviews, people kind of assume I have this like come to moment and just changed my whole life. But that really wasn't how it worked. I changed my habits slowly but surely one day at a time. Baby steps is how I refer to it.

Starting point is 00:02:22 And I still try to work on this in my daily life. I'm not, you know, trying to lose weight anymore necessarily. I'm in a different place. But you can really implement this system to anything you're trying to do. For example, my 10 pages of reading every night. 10 pages is something that sounds manageable to me and something that I can do to slowly become a reader. I also like to habit stack. I'll do my red light therapy and reading at the same time while I'm laying on a PMF mat. So I'm doing three habits at once and I make it easy for myself. You may also notice some bad habits that you want to break this year. For me, that's phone scrolling and over-consuming social media. Breaking bad habits works the same way.

Starting point is 00:03:11 It's a daily practice to get closer to our ultimate goal. Perhaps the larger goal is living a life of peace or being more in the moment. But what does that actually look like? What does that person or that life look like? Do they scroll on their phone? Do they get stuck worrying about things they can't control? We need to practice daily. And I'm in the midst of this right now. So I thought, what a great topic to talk about. So let's hop in and talk about how we can actually implement these great habits and get 1% better every day. I think that's the key to focus on here. How can we get a little bit better every day? Because that's going to compound.

Starting point is 00:03:46 For me, it compounded over time. Just by keeping my daily habits, I got to where I am now, which is crazy. Where I first started was so far from who I am now. But it wasn't like I was looking at the end goal. I wasn't really looking at the finish line yet. I was just looking at the next day. The next day, I was like, okay, I'm going to go for one extra walk a day. I'm going to drink X amount more water a day. And I think what's important to note is habits are really important because when motivation is not there, small habits and choices are transforming us every day. People think that lack of motivation is the reason that they're not doing something. Oh, if I only felt like working out. Oh, if I only felt like reading today. But actually, they just don't have a plan. The plan is what gets us there.

Starting point is 00:04:38 I think the most important thing is to take the decision making out of it. For example, for me where I'm at in my life now, working out and eating healthy is something that I do not think about. And I know that sounds crazy, but it's literally like it's on autopilot because there isn't another option. I've been doing it for so long. It has become a habit and a lifestyle. And that isn't to say that I always like greatly look forward to my workout. Sometimes I do, but sometimes I don't. But the decision isn't there because I always do it. Now, sometimes I'll have flexibility. So let's say I decide I really want to weightlift four times a week. I can pick and choose the day and

Starting point is 00:05:16 time I do so. For me, I actually find it easier to have an exact time I do it every day. So I work out pretty much right after I get out of bed and I just get it done. That's what works best for me. You're going to have to figure out what works best for you. What is a sustainable plan that you can actually keep up with? And even if it isn't the best workout ever, I say this all the time, what skincare do I recommend? And it's really tough because I feel like everyone's skincare is different. But the one brand I feel comfortable recommending to everyone, even my mother-in-law, is ClearStem. ClearStem skincare is a revolutionary skincare brand that is both anti-aging and

Starting point is 00:06:05 anti-acne with zero known hormone disruptors. I feel like when you've dealt with acne, you know so many acne products are so drying and like intense. But what I love about ClearStem is that it's simple and it works. It doesn't make my skin feel irritated at all, but keeps it super clean and there's no pore clogging ingredients both the founders of clear stem are in their 30s and are extremely acne prone and have been through acne before so they knew exactly what to do when making these products and i feel like i can trust them because you know when you've had acne it's like you want to talk to people who have had it before because otherwise it's just they don't understand my favorite product personally is the

Starting point is 00:06:46 gentle clean cleanser i use it every single day they also have the best sunscreen and you guys have heard me mention on my podcast a few times they now offer lab testing so they help you get to the root cause of your problem you can go on the website and apply for the ClearStem acne test. It has been empowering thousands of people to get the root cause of their acne through comprehensive and affordable blood testing and personalized nutrition and lifestyle guidance. I've had so many girls come up to me on the street and say that they have been doing that, which makes me so freaking happy. It really is the key. You guys can visit Clear clearstem.com and use code POW for 15% off. That's clearstem.com and use code POW for 15% off your order. I don't know about you guys,

Starting point is 00:07:33 but one of my New Year's goals is to kind of clean up my phone a bit and get rid of some of the subscriptions I have and in turn save money. I decided I'm being frugal this year. And that's where I found Rocket Money. What I love about Rocket Money is it's a personal finance app that finds and cancels your unwanted subscriptions and monitors your spending and helps you lower bills. Guys, I went through my phone and I was subscribed to so many things that I was unaware of. And I bet you if you guys did the same thing, you be like what the heck Fi actually downloaded Rocket Money after I did and she was like shocked at all the things she found I feel like this is the best and easiest way to cut down on your monthly spending and such a great way to start the new year it's like too much clutter in the first place and we're spending money

Starting point is 00:08:20 on things that we don't need to be Rocket Money has over 5 million users and has helped saved its members an average of $720 a year with over 500 million in cancelled subscriptions. Oh my gosh, this is like wasted money that we could be using towards other things. I think this is one of the smartest investments you could make in the new year. So stop wasting money on things you don't use. Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to rocketmoney.com slash pow. That's rocketmoney.com slash pow, rocketmoney.com slash pow. It's the new year, which means it's the perfect time to refresh your shoe collection. Any excuse to get new shoes. Elevate your style this season with versatile footwear from Vionic. Vionic has the

Starting point is 00:09:05 best curated styles to get you ready for the new year. They are comfortable styles to take you from day to night with rich leathers and suede for your work wear favorites. And they have performance sneakers to keep your fitness goals moving. I personally love the 23 walk shoe. It's perfect for those hot girl walks. I am really trying to get out there and walk more, but I want to look cute while I'm doing it. So Vionic is the perfect shoe for you. Vionic's exclusive VioMotion technology is what sets them apart. They began by revolutionizing medical orthotics, and today they continue to use that science to engineer shoes that leave you feeling energized and confident all day. I love the fact that I can hop outside and go to the grocery store and feel so cute in my shoes and they have so many different options for whatever your lifestyle may

Starting point is 00:09:50 be. You guys can use code POW15 at checkout for 15% off your entire order at www.vionicshoes.com when you log into your account. One-time use only, Vionic Shoes, wearable well-being for your feet. You want to decide when, where, and how. Think about the habit, project, goal, and imagine failing. What happened? Think about what happened if you didn't succeed in your goal let's say I didn't succeed in reading more why did I not set up my environment correctly did I not set up a good plan did I not have a good time picked out you want to come up with a plan b if not then then when so for example if I didn't do my 10 pages of reading last night, which I actually did not because I was out to dinner with a friend, then I need to make sure I do it the next night.

Starting point is 00:10:51 You need to have a sustainable plan. So I'm going to read 10 pages of a book three nights a week. What that allows me to do is give myself ample time to make that goal happen, make it realistic and create a positive environment. Make it easy for yourself. If you have a fitness goal, lay out your gym clothes the night before. I still do this every night and it's so helpful because I wake up at 5.45 in the morning. I don't want to think about what outfit I'm wearing to the gym. Lay it out the night before. Set your alarms. Make a plan with a friend. Make the workout enjoyable, switch it up every day, create a plan that's sustainable and create an environment that's positive.

Starting point is 00:11:33 Plan your meals for the week, lay your outfit out, leave ample time in the morning. As I said before, optimize for the start line, not the finish line. When I was on my weight loss journey, I wasn't like, I want to lose 90 pounds. That was not my goal. I was just looking at the beginning, daily practice, put my shoes by the front door, get outside, do the walk, ultimately get to the gym. Honestly, one of the first habits I implemented was my breakfast. I was getting two muffins every day, two, and I lowered it to one. That was my first habit that I implemented. And look where I got. It really is about implementing those habits. And the more you do it, the more you trust yourself and the more confidence that you have. You also need rewards along the way. It really helps you stick with your goals. So for example,

Starting point is 00:12:31 I had cheat meals. I don't like that word. They were like treat meals or fun meals every weekend on my weight loss journey. Greg and I would pick a really fun restaurant. We go to Mongolian hot pot korean barbecue italian we try all these different restaurants and i got to really enjoy the food i was eating and feel like i was rewarded for having a successful week i really love food and i wanted to still enjoy it or we would cook at home and make something really really fun i think rewards are a really important part of achieving your goals and creating new habits. Another thing you can do is set up a calendar and check off every day you stick with the habit.

Starting point is 00:13:13 And I think mentally it just helps us stay consistent. You don't want to break the streak. That's important. So I think checking off a to-do list or a calendar visually can be really, really helpful and you don't want to break the chain. It almost makes it a game because you're measuring your progress of how long you can keep up with it. I think making the goal a game is almost like the best way to go about it because it's less daunting. Change happens habit by habit you can really become someone new perhaps one of my you know one of my new year's resolutions is to be more present and in the moment not touching my phone for the first 30 minutes of my day that would be a great habit to implement and something i could actually keep up with day to day the more evidence we have for a belief the

Starting point is 00:14:03 more likely we are to believe it become the type of person you want to be the more i we have for a belief, the more likely we are to believe it. Become the type of person you want to be. The more I keep up with these habits I want to implement, the closer I am to believing the goal that I have and believing I am the person I want to be. For example, the goal is to become the habit. So I don't want to just work out every day. I'm not just someone who wants to lose weight and goes to the gym occasionally. I am an athlete. And I know that sounds a little crazy, but something that helped me on my journey

Starting point is 00:14:34 and still helps me today, I'm not someone who wants to read. I am a reader. I am an athlete when I'm at the gym. So when I was at the gym working out every day, I envisioned that I was an athlete when I'm at the gym. So when I was at the gym working out every day, I envisioned that I was an athlete training for something. What makes me less of an athlete than someone else at the gym? You know what I mean? We want to become a runner. We're not just running.

Starting point is 00:14:54 So really believing we are the person we're trying to be. I guess that's almost like affirmations or manifesting in a way. But that mindset really does help. And it helps you change your sense of self rather than someone being, you know, oh, I'm out of shape, but I want to be in shape. It's like, no, I am an athlete. I'm training. I'm training towards a goal. With all that said, guys, I really hope that helped. Let me know some of the habits you are implementing this year or habits you are trying to break. I really think habits and plans and systems are such a crucial part of achieving our goals. And I know how intimidating larger goals can be. So I think starting at the finish line is really, really important. I hope you're all having a great start to 2024. Love you so much and I'll see you in the next episode bye thanks for joining us on the pursuit

Starting point is 00:15:45 of wellness podcast to support this show please rate and review and share with your loved ones if you want to be reminded of new episodes click the subscribe button on your preferred podcast or video player you can sign up for my newsletter to receive my favorites at marilowelland.com it will be linked in the show notes this is a a Wellness Out Loud production produced by Drake Peterson, Fiona Attucks, and Kelly Kyle. This show is edited by Mike Fry, and our video is recorded by Louise Vargas. You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Mari Fitness. Love you, Power Girls and Power Boys. See you next time. The content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only it is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient

Starting point is 00:16:30 relationship as always talk to your doctor or health team

Pursuit of Wellness - How To Build Small Habits That Will Change Your Life

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