(Note: Today’s post is a guest post from my friend and fellow coach, Shane McLean. My regularly scheduled post will be out tomorrow.)
A couple of well-known quotes resonate with me when making plans.
- We make plans, and God laughs.
- Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.
Two could be the smartest thing Mike Tyson ever said.
It’s not like making plans is terrible; it’s just that life’s unpredictability, especially for busy parents, caregivers, and frequent travelers, often derails even the best-laid plans. Let’s face it: life loves to throw curveballs when you least expect them. Sticking to your healthy habits can feel impossible, whether it’s a last-minute work trip, your kid getting sick, or just life’s usual chaos.
That’s why building flexible habits is your secret weapon when life is overwhelming and sits on your chest and goes, ha-ha. When you can’t rely on routine, habits that bend but don’t break keep you moving forward. Being a personal trainer and married father of two boys, I know a few things about life punching me in the mouth.
Here are a few ways I keep going in my never-ending quest to stay fit when the world seems to be against me. Hopefully, they work for you too. First, let’s discuss what habits are.
WHAT ARE HABITS AND HOW THEY ARE FORMED
A habit is a routine of behavior repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously—in other words, without you even thinking about it. Habits can usually be divided into three groups.
- Habits that we overlook because they have been part of our lives forever—like tying shoelaces or brushing our teeth.
- Ones that are good for us and which we work hard to establish, like exercising, eating well, or getting enough sleep.
- Last is our bad habits—like smoking, procrastinating, or overspending.
When you repeat a behavior consistently, your brain creates neural pathways, essentially wiring your brain to make that action automatic. It’s like creating a shortcut. The more you do it, the stronger that pathway becomes, which is why good or bad habits become second nature. This is your brain’s way of conserving energy, so you don’t have to think through every little action. The goal is to make our healthy habits automatic, like tying our shoes. Hopefully, during this process, you’ll break the neural pathways of your bad habits.
The time it takes to form a healthy habit varies, but research suggests that, on average, a new behavior takes about 66 days to become automatic. Some habits might take less time, while others can take more, depending on the complexity of the behavior and how consistent you are in doing it. It’s important to note that the 66-day figure is an average, and individual experiences can vary significantly, especially when life’s fists take aim at your mouth.
FIVE SIMPLE HABIT TIPS
The following are five tips to keep your healthy habits repeatable, even when gasping for air.
Think Small
Trying to be perfect with your health when life is chaotic feels overwhelming. Small, manageable habits are easier to maintain and better fit your busy schedule. Small habits keep momentum because simple actions are less likely to be abandoned when things get busy. Even when you can’t do everything, you can do something.
Examples:
Drink a glass of water before each meal: This is a small, manageable action that helps with hydration and can also control hunger.
Take a 10-minute walk: Instead of a gym workout you haven’t got time for, try a short walk during your lunch break. It’s quick, achievable, and still boosts your health and mood.
Consistency Over Perfection
Regarding habits, consistency is far more important than perfection. No one can always be perfect. Doing something, no matter how small, every day keeps the forward momentum that leads to long-term success. Here’s something I remind my clients: the never-miss-twice rule: It’s okay to miss a day—life happens. But the key is not letting it turn into two missed days. Missing one day won’t set you back, but consistently missing days can break the habit-building process.
Adjust Your Environment for Success
Your environment plays a massive role in shaping your habits. You’re more likely to follow through when things are convenient and easy. A cluttered or disorganized environment can derail your efforts, but an organized space sets you up for success.
Examples:
Keep a reusable water bottle handy. Having water available always makes you much more likely to stay hydrated without even thinking about it.
Set reminders on your phone: Gentle nudges throughout the day can help you remember to take breaks, move around, or drink water. These reminders can make it easier to stick to healthy habits, even on busy days.
Habit Stacking
Habit stacking is a great way to ensure small health habits stick, even when your schedule is jam-packed. This method involves linking new habits to existing ones that are automatic because pairing your new habit with something you’re already doing makes it more likely you’ll do it.
For instance, if you always have coffee in the morning, do ten squats or push-ups while waiting for the coffee to brew. Or, while waiting for your kids at soccer practice, go for a quick walk around the field instead of sitting in the car. Habit stacking makes it easier to automatically insert healthy habits into your day.
Create Flexibility
Life is unpredictable; things can and will go wrong no matter how well we plan. Building flexibility into your habits ensures that when things don’t go as expected, you can still keep making progress. This could mean having a plan B or making the habit smaller. For example:
Swap a full workout for a shorter option: Instead of a full hour at the gym, do a 15-minute full-body circuit; this keeps the habit going without requiring a huge time commitment.
Modify your habit to fit the situation: If you can’t prepare a full, healthy meal, opt for the most nutritious, quickest option available. Adaptability means you don’t quit altogether because your plan cannot happen.
Wrapping Up
We all like to get our shit done as planned regarding our health and fitness, but life sometimes has other ideas. Keeping forward momentum is critical when life sucks all your time and energy up. These five habit tips have kept my forward progress; hopefully, when you keep them in mind, they will work for you, too.
Bio
Shane McLean is a certified personal trainer, blogger, and freelance fitness writer obsessed with exercise and Chuck Norris. Don’t ask.
