Are you ready to establish new healthy habits to build a solid foundation for your new future? This is the fourth in our series on Midlife Makeovers and now we are laying down foundations for our future.
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Here you are, standing in the middle of your newly demolished and tidied up shell of your makeover – surveying the empty space and noticing what is left.
There could be feelings of excitement for the new you about to emerge or apprehension about what’s next! Take a breath - either feeling or both is perfectly normal.
Whatever you are feeling right now is exactly as it is supposed to be. The only caveat is don’t stay in your fear too long without taking action.
To pretend we don't have these kinds of thoughts is to bury our head in the sand as the saying goes.
What it means is to deliberately refuse to accept the truth about something unpleasant, hoping your problems and fears will disappear.
EVERYONE has fears at times and I mean EVERYONE!
And together we are going to face them, one small step at a time.
Welcome Back
Welcome back to our "Midlife Makeover" series, where you are discovering how to transform your life from the inside out, just like you would a house to get it ready for it's next chapter.
I'm Angela Rettie, your guide on this journey of transformation. Today we're are going to focus on laying solid foundations and creating new healthy habits that will set you up for what is to come.
From the previous Midlife Makeover blog, you now know what you are looking for when it comes to these sneaky thoughts that hold us back.
When you become aware of them and notice they have popped up you can simply acknowledge them.
For example you might say “Ah, I see you”, and ask yourself questions like:
- What are you here to teach me?
- What do I need to notice?
- What do I need to remember?
The answers to these, can reassure you that you’ve got this from here. And then you can thank the sneaky thought for reminding you to take a moment and let it go on its way. And you go on yours.
You already know the best antidote is ACTION! Today is about taking the next actions to keep you moving forward.
These actions will help you lay the foundations. Strong, solid foundations for what lies ahead.
A house with a weak foundation is a disaster waiting to happen.
Similarly, in our midlife journey, a solid foundation is necessary for sustainable growth and transformation.
What's the bedrock of this foundation?
Healthy habits across all areas of your life. Researching, testing out and then establishing healthy habits for your physical, emotional, spiritual and mental well-being that serve you.
"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!" - Audrey Hepburn
So let’s make this happen!
Midlife Makeover: Establishing Healthy Habits and Rebuilding a Solid Foundation Video
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The Importance of Healthy Habits to Create A Solid Foundation
When you renovate a house, the first step after demolition is laying a solid foundation.
Why?
Because everything else—the walls, the roof, the interior design—relies on the integrity of that base.
The same goes for our lives. And sometimes this can seem a little dull - like this picture.
This is where you need to keep your eye on what you really want - keep your eyes on the prize and remember what it will look like when it's finished.
Imagine this as the canvas on which you get to paint your new life and create your masterpiece.
So the canvas, or foundation, is our habits. We all know that house built on sand or shaky ground will crumble at the first sign of stormy weather, while a house built on a solid foundation will withstand the storm.
By establishing our own healthy habits, we are setting up ourselves for long-term success and resilience, helping us to weather the storms of life.
Our habits, particularly our health and wellbeing habits, are the foundation upon which we build our lives.
They affect every part of our existence—our energy levels, our mental clarity, our longevity, and even our happiness.
When we nurture our body, we are also nourishing our mind and spirit. Like a house needs a solid base to stand strong, our bodies need healthy habits to function optimally.
“Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.” Eleanor Roosevelt
Time For a Check-In
Feeling some resistance?
If right now, you are feeling some resistance to these healthy habits, or you are thinking:
“Oh, I know this – nothing new here.”
Now is a great time to do a check-in with yourself.
If your current approach isn't working, then it's worth investigating deeper beliefs and fears that may be causing this resistance and keeping you from moving forward.
Consider my version of an old Indian proverb:
“A healthy woman has many wishes. The sick woman only one.”
How are you going to have the energy, vitality, clarity of mind to do what you want for this next part of your life?
If this is something you are struggling with, maybe it’s time to look into the deeper beliefs and fears holding you back. If you need support with this, reach out.
The quote from Eleanor Roosevelt above has hidden within it, that it takes work to be a beautiful human being. It is not a quirk of nature.
And by beautiful, we aren't just talking physical, skin deep beauty. We are talking beauty from the inside out.
Putting in the Effort To Establish Healthy Habits
Without a doubt, establishing and maintaining healthy habits can be a challenge, AND the rewards are priceless because they are your incredible, beautiful life with you in the drivers seat.
Are you prepared to do what it takes? It’s not about doing what everyone else does, instead it’s about finding out what works for YOU.
Do the work - which means doing your own research, trying some things on and testing them out for yourself.
If you do the work, you will
- find the right eating plan for you, that gives you energy, nourishes your body and balances what needs to be balanced
- discover exercise you love to do and builds your strength, energy and vitality,
- get to sleep and wake up refreshed and
- live every day with a sense of peace, contentment, energy, clarity and joy.
It’s about creating a life well-lived and thriving.
Do that, one day at a time using healthy habits as the 'bricks and mortar' in the foundation of your overall well-being to create the life you want.
Laying the Foundation: Establishing Healthy Habits
How do you go about establishing healthy habits?
First is to determine what those habits might be (see above for some ideas) and then to research what is appropriate for you.
This will take some effort, some trial and error. The key is to see if you can find shortcuts – like role models as we've discussed before.
Here are some areas to start focusing on:
- Eating for energy at your stage of life - think about type of food and timing of eating.
- Hydration – what’s right for you and how you can maintain that.
- Exercise – Movement, Cardio, Strength & Flexibility
- Sleep – quality of sleep is key and there are many factors.
- Emotional & Mindset – keeping you on your path every day and creating meanings that give you peace of mind and bring you closer to the real you.
- Social Connections – more and more studies are showing how important social connections are to us, at all times in life AND even more so as we get older.
- Spiritual – your connection with whatever is the right source for you.
In a previous blog I have written about 7 actionable tips to help you embrace change and navigate life transitions with purpose. This is a great resource for you to dive into as well.
'We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.'
~ Aristotle ~
Maintaining Healthy Habits: Commitment and Consistency
How do we go about establishing and maintaining these habits?
It all begins with awareness and intention.
It’s about making conscious decisions about how we want to live our lives. And then taking small, consistent steps towards making those decisions our new normal. That way it becomes who we are.
It' becomes our identity. For example,
I am someone who exercises daily.
We always think we can accomplish more in a shorter time and forget the incredible difference we can make over a year, 3 years, 5 years or a decade.
Focus on the small steps and you will over time make the big change. If you do too much too soon, you may get disheartened by not getting the results straight away.
For most of us, small steps repeated until they become part of who are are, is what works. It’s about consistency.
It's not the size of the step that counts. It’s that you're moving forward that counts.
3 Quick Tips To Trying On A New Healthy Habit
You can try on some new healthy habits. Just like trying on a jacket in a shop, you don't have to buy it. Just see how you feel in it first. Here are 3 quick tips to help you get started with new habits.
Tip #1: Make It Small Enough To Fit Into Your Life Right Now
We've been talking a lot about small steps. It's a theme! And it's a theme for a reason! We often bite off more than we can chew.
If you want to be successful at this midlife makeover change, this is a great place to start. It's okay if it seems like it won't make a difference. It will, give it time. Talking of time...
Tip #2: Schedule It Into Your Diary
If you schedule it, you are more likely to do it. And by writing it down, it signals your intention to do it.
At first it might seem a bit of overkill. Do this until it just becomes second nature to do it.
Treat these appointments with yourself, with the same respect you would if it was an appointment with your Doctor or Hairdresser.
Respect yourself and keep these appointments - you've made time for them after all.
Tip #3: Leverage The Habits You Already Have By Adding New Ones
You already have habits that you have, like brushing your teeth. You could add something to that each morning or evening until it's part of your routine.
For example, one of my habits is to do calf-raises when I am brushing my teeth. I feel it tones my legs AND it also helps get my lymphatics pumping!
These are small things, could you commit to doing these too?
All of these things are about self-care.
Self-care isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity and even more so when you are in transformation.
Even a caterpillar goes into a self-enclosing cocoon for its transformation to butterfly.
Maybe now is a time for you to wrap yourself up and give yourself some self-care and self-love.
What’s Your Commitment to These Healthy Habits
Consistency is the cement that holds our foundation together.
Your midlife makeover isn't a sprint—it's a marathon.
It’s about taking the right steps, in the right direction - consistently. And trusting that every step, no matter how small, contributes to the strength of your foundation going forward.
And WHEN you do slip or stumble along the way – and it is a when not an if because we all do trip up sometimes. The most important thing is to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and continue on our path.
When you were a kid and you were running and fell over, did you just stay on the ground? No! You got up, dusted yourself off and carried on.
It’s time to remember that that is what you do – get up, dust yourself off and carry on – because that is who you really are.
Being the architect of your own life and building the foundation will support your happiness and wellbeing for many years to come.
Laying the Foundation: A Metaphor for Life
As we lay down these new habits, we’re doing more than just improving our physical, emotional and spiritual health and wellbeing.
We’re laying down the foundations of our new life.
Every brick of habit we lay down is a step forward towards the life we want to live. It’s exciting to see the new space take shape.
As you start these new habits, it’s much easier to start to imagine the life that your new life forming.
Key Takeaways For Establishing Healthy Habits
This is where the rubber hits the road!
This is where you start to create, brick by brick, step by step, habit by habit your new life.
And, if you are committed to making this next part of your life a masterpiece where you get to live life on your terms, then mastering these small steps will move you there.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint! Often we want it all to happen right now. That’s not the way it works. Trust the process and put in the effort, to reap the rewards.
Taking it step by step and habit by habit will help to create an enduring new you.
'We can thrive at any life stage by courageously embracing change and intentionally seeking growth. Success is not what you attain. Real success is about authentically embracing who we are becoming.'
~ Angela Rettie ~
If you haven't already joined in with my Free 7-Day Envision and Experience Class which is delivered daily to your inbox, it’s a great way to start some of those little steps and creating new habits. It’s totally free, so you have nothing to lose by jumping on board.
Keep in the loop for the next installment and follow me on Facebook and Instragram.
Join us next time as we continue to explore the Midlife Makeover series, and you get to start decorating and creating your joy-filled new life on your terms.
Until then,
LIVE LOVE THRIVE
Angela
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