The exercise compression step machine my kids bought me for Christmas is still in daily use. As I worked myself into a sweat again this morning (2200 steps in 35 minutes watching 20/20 cricket England v New Zealand) I realised that for the first time in my life I am actually enjoying exercise. I never ever ever EVER thought I would write those words.
I must admit as I unwrapped the present on Christmas morning my heart sank and I feared that no matter how strong my initial resolve – within a couple of weeks the excuses would creep in and the machine would move more out of sight.
It was interesting to read at the weekend about research carried out by Professor Jane Wardle at the UK based Health Behaviour Centre where her team found that creating good habits takes months.
In an experiment designed to find out what it took to build a new habit, Professor Wardle ‘s group got volunteers to try to adopt a new healthy habit – giving up couch potato lounging, for instance and taking a short walk. Or not eat biscuits with coffee. Every day the volunteers logged into a website and completed a questionnaire as to what they had done and how easy they found it.
How long did it take for their resolve to become a normal part of their routine? Professor Wardle says “We found it took a very long time – 70 days in fact, although for some it was shorter.”
Hmmm – I need to let you know in about a months time if I really DO have a habit. So far so good.
This is additional weight of course (strange choice of words in this context) for my point about not giving up smoking or drink for lent – if you think that this will be the start of a permanent behavioural change. You will probably reward yourself with the very thing you would prefer to permanently give up at the end of Lent. 40 days is probably not long enough to be sure that you will not start again.
I do hope that my enthusiasm for this new activity doesn’t wane. If I can do it – anybody can.
About Keith Watson
Hi - I am Keith Watson.
This blog is dedicated to Banger - a teacher from my teenage years who - at least once a week - insisted upon cracking the hilarious - and I have to say - never heard before line "What's on Watson?".
I would smile demurely - the rest of the class would fall about with sides aching - and life would go on for another week.
'Wats-on My Mind' I have decided will assist me personally as well as be of interest to others (I hope) who share my challenges. It will help keep me organised and document my activities so that I know what I did yesterday.
You think I am joking!!
I have been in the website development game since 1993 and have been involved with over 2000 website builds (with the help of my fantastic team of freelance programmers)
It was only in the last two years though that I have moved over to making money for myself on line and in particular linking up with an amazing talent called Adam Eason to produce and distribute self help and hypnotherapy products.
As a result of looking to promote these products I have downloaded hundreds of internet marketing articles and e-books, studied countless reports, tested list building tactics, butterflied, boot-camped, buzzed, adsensed, affiliated, met a jerk, jv'ed, plr given-awayed, and generally suffered from information overload.
My computer - presumably in a fit of pique or simply demanding a holiday has given up the ghost on at least two occassions - causing me even more stress.
Oh this simple business of making money online.
BUT the great news is that it is all working and our list has grown - I have found some gurus I have complete faith in - and Adam and I are actually making money from our endeavours.
Some way to go but I am more relaxed and can spot a phoney over hyped, sexed up, must have latest product which you must either buy or if not, simply fade into oblivion. There’s not room on this Internet for the two of us.
This ramble of an introduction is really to set the scene for I am sure an interesting journey which I invite you to join. In fact I want you to help me find the right tools, scripts, plugins etc. etc, that will catapult me into the stratosphere of success. I hope you will be there with me.
I don't just consider success in a monetary sense. I so want to help some friends of mine who are involved in Christian missionary work in some pretty harrowing parts of this world. If I can bring any help to their missions that will give me more satisfaction than anything else.
I really, really do love this web stuff and the people you meet. I am convinced that this powerful technology can be harnessed to do some good.
Keith, you have also began to associate your exercise regimen with being a pleasurable experience… And you have been combining your stepping with other things that you enjoy and it is getting embedded into our neurology… Great to see… Looking forward to seeing your new leaner dimensions very soon
I’m glad you said leaner rather than lean. Now THAT would be ambitious!