"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading," Lao Tzu wrote in the Tao Te Ching.
Where are your habits taking you? And what’s stopping you from changing direction to head in a new, healthier path?
When we think of change, most of us fixate on the big overnight life changes. Hitting our goal weight. Overhauling our diet. Completing an Ironman.
We throw ourselves all in for change at the start of the year or a new goal. And then we... well you know. Life comes up. Just like Aesop’s fable, when it comes to habit change in pursuit of big goals, it’s more often the turtle than the hare that wins the race.
Our habits can feel so ingrained that they become part of our identity. Instead of thinking that it’s our habit to plop in front of the TV after work rather than go for that walk, we think we’re lazy. Instead of seeing that it’s our habit that keeps us eating fast food, we think we’re just not a healthy person.
The good news is that it’s never too late to change your habits and reinvent yourself.
Sometimes it takes more time than we anticipated (or wanted). Sometimes we need help/guidance. But through time, you can learn the tools to build new habits and set your GPS in the direction you want to go -- whether that’s running a 5k, taking a hike, or just having more all-around energy.