Week 03: Plan on Obstacles

Hello, Yogi-runner! Welcome to Week 3! There is ample research that suggests that in order to create a habit that really sticks, you must commit to showing up for anywhere between 21 and 60 days. Why this huge gap? It really depends on a lot of factors, including your personality type and the kind of habit you are trying to form. Creating a running routine can be challenging. The length and pace of this program are specifically designed to help you create a habit that sticks. Other important factors to forming a new habit? Research suggests that you should commit to beginning one new thing at a time. Taking on too many new things at once can mean that your motivation is spread too thin.

The most important piece of advice I can give you on creating a running habit (and this can be applied to other habits as well) is to PLAN ON OBSTACLES!! What are the most common obstacles that you should consider?

Time: look at your schedule for your week and plan out exactly when you will move your body. Next, at the beginning of the day, review your plan again. Have any changes occurred in your schedule that you need to adjust for? Plan, plan, and plan again!

Weather: this is a tough one. The heat can be grueling, or we may be experiencing heavy rain or wind. The weather can be a serious motivation sucker. When you are planning your movement at the outset of the week, pull up the weather forecast and incorporate this into your planning. Do this again each morning. If at all possible, try to get outside in the early morning or in the evening when it’s not too hot yet. And those rainy days? Try to plan for a dry window or commit to having some fun getting soaked in the rain. Remember those days in early childhood when you splashed outside in the puddles? Let your inner child shine, my friend! If the weather simply will not cooperate, make adjustments to your plan. You can always swap out days for a rest day or a longer yoga video.

When you can plan for certain obstacles, you are far more likely to stick to your routine. Of course, there will be unforeseen factors that arise. When this happens, take a deep breath, take out your planner, begin again.