Focus On Your Current Habits

This weekend we went on a treetop adventure. If you’ve ever completed one, you’ll know how challenging they can be. You are responsible for your own safety at all times. The number one rule is stay attached at all times. You clip the carabiners on to safety lines and only move them one at a time.

Whilst the course is physically demanding, it’s also keeps you on your toes mentally as you work out how you cross each section. Thinking about feet placement, hand placement, whether to go fast or slow, and if you need to hold onto any of the ropes.

One thing I noticed was no matter what was going on around me, the screams of nearby people as they went down the zip lines or the cheers of encouragement by team mates. I only ever focused on what I was doing in that second. What was right in front of me.

Being so high up was incredible, looking down to see the forest or valley beneath you. But in truth, I never really noticed the height, unless I was climbing up the ladder at the start of each section or flying down the zip wire at the end of the section.

Focusing on the placement of my feet and ensuring my safety lines were attached was pretty much all I was aware of at that moment in time.

When you are in the zone, it is amazing how quickly you form a habit. Albeit a temporary one, but you do. Your safety is the priority so you go red carabiner off first, followed by blue, then attach green first if needed, if not go blue to blue then attach the red. Do this then check and you are safe to go.

It got me thinking of the daily habits.

For example, brushing your teeth, you do this twice a day, but are you actually paying attention or are you going through the motions? Do you actually feel each tooth with your brush and tongue to see if they are cleaned and in good condition.

What about flossing or using the interdental flossers? Are you taking your time to ensure you remove as much debris and plaque as possible? Is there a gap food gets caught in, do you spend time ensuring you clear it?

The same goes for having a shower, are you taking your time to clean between your toes and behind your ears? Or what about in your belly button? We do things all the time requiring some degree of effort but as we have been doing them since we were kids, the likelihood is we will take a few short cuts here and there.

Now think of something you only recently started doing. It could be you got a new bike or a new car or you started to run each morning. Now you want your bike to be kept in good condition so after each use you give it a bit of a clean and thoroughly check it.

With the car you wash it weekly and vacuum it. You are taking pride in it, whereas your old car was lucky if it got that care in a year!

Now you’ve started going for a daily run first thing. Before you go you ensure you warm up and then on your return, you take time to stretch and cool down.

Each time you are paying attention to what you are doing. You take the time you need to focus on it. Now this may last a lifetime and become something you do without thinking. Or it’s short lived and you soon go back to treating your bike and car like your old ones and you only do the warm ups and cool downs on your runs, if you remember or have time.

We are very good at starting off well and telling ourselves this is something I can maintain forever. But usually it doesn’t last as enthusiastically as it did in the first instance. Our dedication waivers and we half heartedly do it.

As I’ve said in previous posts, to make a habit stick you need to build it up, take small steps, fit it in with your current routine and build up slowly.

The next time you are cleaning your teeth, use those two minutes to pay attention your teeth, mouth, tongue and how they feel, what condition are they in. Really focus. Treat your teeth each day the same way as you would if you were going to the dentist, brush twice a day, make them sparkle as best you can and take care of them.

Have a great week, focus on the habits you currently have and really see if you are doing them with as much oomf as you started of with.

Take care and look after you.

Love Emma xx