It’s Fit2Fat2Fit Book Club Friday. This week’s book is The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do by Charles Duhigg . I loved it. It’s a well written and accessible book with dozens of interesting case studies and stories as examples. Duhigg’s premise is that we’re governed by habits. Habits that make our brain’s job easier. (for example: Driving a car becomes a habit. Could you imagine how tired you’d be if you had to concentrate every mile you drove? When was the last time you thought about brushing your teeth?) And the really good news is that habits can be changed. First, you have to figure out what cues make you perform a certain habit. Does stress make you eat sweets or smoke? Does anxiety lead you to the bottle? What can you do to replace the bad habit when you feel the cue coming on? There are also important habits called Keystone Habits. By changing one Keystone Habit, you can change your life. One of my Keystone Habits is getting up every more and doing PLS training. And according to the book, it’s easier to change a habit if you have a group who will hold you accountable (the book uses AA as an example). For me, my group is my PLS line. There are cues (seeing my running shoes setting by my bed.). Rewards (being thinner and the endorphins). My bad habits still exist (drinking Cokes and being lazy). But my new habits are now stronger, making the bad habits fade into the background. Good habits help strengthen will power, which will spill over into your life. If you work out, you won’t want to eat junk food. Or smoke. Or drink. You learn how to focus on a goal.
Take a hard look at your life and see where you need improvement. Find one or two keystone habits and then watch other areas of your life change. I highly recommend the book. ***** out of five stars.
Today’s workout started with eight minutes on the treadmill. I did 7.0, 7.5 and 8.0 mph. Then we ran, did pushups, did step ups with weight, ran suicides, did Supermans, ran Gauntlets with 25-lb. weights. It was a tough day — mainly because it was the end of the week. I’ve been on the road all week but managed to make every workout.
It’s a habit. And a darn good one.