Each year when I pick 3 focus words to focus my efforts, I look for words that I believe with inspire me and improve my life. Jill and I discussed our three words recently in podcast episode 98. You can click here to listen to the Fit Strong Women Over 50 podcast episode.
This year my 3 focus words are:
1) Cue – As in the beginning step of a habit. When I read “The Power of Habit” I learned that everything starts with the cue.
The book explains the 3 parts of the habit. Each habit has a cue, a routine and a reward. The key is understanding the pattern before trying to adjust the outcomes. It starts with the cue. The cue might be the time of day or a situation. The phone rings. Stuck in a traffic jam. An argument with a family member. The 3 pm slump.
2) Prep – Prep is short for preparation. As in figure out a menu, and do the “ugh” part of the tasks first. I don’t mind chopping veggies – in fact I enjoy it – and I have learned about myself it is best for me to do the prep tasks when I am full. Not hungry! Prep tasks like grocery shopping. Preparing quinoa for the week. Cooking several batches of chicken breast for salad or popping into other recipes. Making a lengthy recipe for a full meal and then freezing most of it into single serving portions for the freezer. (I love easy, healthy defrost-in-the-microwave meals!) Save a aisle-by-aisle grocery list of the par-stock for my pantry that I can use to make sure I always have what I need.
3) Track – Tracking food, exercise and mindfulness is a way to keep the focus on the very things that help keep me fit and strong. I use My Fitness Pal to track meals and my weight; FitBit to track exercise; and the Insight Timer for mindfulness and meditation. I guess that track could me the track near the High School, but that wasn’t the track that I had in mind when I picked this word.
These 3 focus words are what I’ll concentrate on for 2022, as opposed to creating a new years resolution.
Do you use three words? Let me know in the comments below: