90 Days of Focus - Habit Building
As I mentioned in a previous blog post, my main process of losing weight and creating a healthier lifestyle was rooted in my 90 Days of Focus plan.
Two to three times a year, I would start up a plan to change multiple habits in a select amount of time with an ultimate goal at the end. The time span (obviously) is 90 days or 3 months of a focused and concerted effort to make habit changes and make them stick. I would determine what habits to add, adjust, or remove about every 2 weeks - and then maintain all of them throughout the entire 90 days.
WHY 90 DAYS?
It is enough time to see an improvement and also enough time to remain focused. If you give yourself a year - like with a New Year resolution - you are less likely to see any scalable results. This is an effort to motivate you, not discourage you. The longer you go, the more it could be put off as an “I’ll start tomorrow” and never do. And if it is too short, you may not see any invigorating results.
This is a program that I know works as long as you put in the work. So what does that work entail? I have some overall steps below as well as a link to the full stream where we talked through all of them.
For the full rant session - I would recommend watching this which has the full recap of these steps below the video (and a lot of ranting and swearing). After the hour mark is some solid stream-only content and discussions - encourage you to check it out! If you are new and need a content warning - please bear in mind we talk about genitalia (in a medical sense), swear a lot, and talk mental health struggles.
Watch Highlight: 90 Days of Focus from YebbaDebba on www.twitch.tv
STEPS TO CONSIDER
In a stream on October 1, we talked through the rationale behind finding the habits you want to change and start identifying goals. We talked through the process at length and how you can prepare for success in this endeavor. I have some of the high-level recap points here about each of the steps we highlighted.
Step 1: Identify the bad habits you want to change
Habits can be big or small - just make sure they are something YOU want to change. Habits are subjective, make sure you make it one you want and not one you feel pressure to do.
Make them tangible and have the ability to record a change or an action. This is an action you want to change for a result - not the result itself. Make it specific! These do not ever have to be weight, food, or workout based. They can be something you want to do socially or at work. Make this plan work for what you want!
Try not to exceed 4 habits in this period to change. Don’t overload your plate - this is a FOCUS period. You can work on more another time.
Step 2: Write and record everything through your journey
Writing down your goals is one of the best ways to actualize them for yourself. Motivate your body, mind, and heart by reading those goals every day.
Recording your days, your successes, and your failures, through everything will help you stay on track. I cannot stress enough that this step is completely vital for keeping your momentum. The more honest you are, the better your results too!
Use an app on your phone, a google spreadsheet, or a written journal record to keep everything. These are also nice things to look at eventually in retrospect and remember where you came from
Step 3: This is not a diet. This is not a fad.
These are things you want to change permanently. These are lifestyle changes, not 90 days and done. This process will make them easier to incorporate habits into your daily life by doing them repeatedly and understanding what goes into them every day. This is maintenance!
Absolutely experiment with new ways of eating, new ways of making your meals, and new ways of working out to try things. You are already branching out of your comfort zone and will inevitably try something new. But also know, that not everything that is introduced in a style (Keto, Paleo, etc.) will agree with you. Try it for a long period of time, record everything and how you feel, consult with a nutritionist or specialist, and always do things safely.
If something doesn’t work - it’s okay to stop and calibrate. You gave it the good college try, but if something just feels off with fasting or something feels off with a workout: stop, evaluate, and adjust.
Side note: Sometimes it isn’t you.
If you are not feeling good after 30 days, 60 days, or even 90 days. If you are not feeling right even after adjusting your food or sleep or added exercise - do not be afraid to seek help. Medical professionals, trainers, and nutritionists could help your journey.
This is also a gentle reminder to get your yearly physical appointment made - now!
Step 4: Accept you will fail at some points.
No one wants to hear that your process won’t be perfect. Just remember that you are TRYING new things. You will fail, you will slip, you will get sick, you will dislike something and want to leave it for a day. That’s okay.
One bad day does not invalidate the work you have done.
If you can’t make it work one day, make sure you assure yourself that you can do it the next day. Even a half day of effort is better than no effort at all. You are strong enough, you are worth it, your plan is working, and you are making a difference.
Step 5: Show off your accomplishments
Find a friend, family member, partner, community, or co-worker you can confide in for the hard times AND for the good times! Show off your journal, your loose pants, a new dress, your favorite crockpot, and the fact you can touch your toes - whatever it is you are proud of and admire in yourself now.
Motivation is the name of this effort - get some cheerleaders to keep you kicking butt!
Step 6: After you’re done, with all 90 Days
Take a break, relax, and relish in your accomplishments - YOU DID IT!
Wait a few days or a week (or 2) before you start up again. Let your body rest and allow your mind to be refreshed!
Now that you’ve heard what the plan is at its core, what are you going to focus on for 90 days? This is a blueprint for you and this is absolutely something you can mold.
In a future post, I will include some tools and services I have used to track food, get workouts, and learn great habits.
