The Power Of Everyday

The start of a year always beckons us to set resolutions and goals. Eat healthier, start an exercise routine, achieve better work-life balance, stop smoking, start retirement planning. Familiar indeed. It’s an annual seduction that many of us succumb to. 

Sadly though, many of these resolutions and goals will be swept under the pile of ‘broken promises to self’. To be blown up with the burst of fireworks at the end of the year. Face it, changes are hard. 

While my previous post extols doing something drastic to force a change, it addresses the monumental actions that are needed to hoist yourself out of a rut, to change course. If, however, you’re on track and just need some nudges to up the game or to handle annoying necessary tasks, then harnessing the power of everyday is an effective way. 

The Magic Of Everyday

The power of everyday works on the principle that incorporating small changes every day compounds to big outcome over time. For example, I want to exercise but hate going to the gym as I find it regimented and reminds me too much of my competitive sporting years when training was a chore.  

So I start every day with 20-30 minutes of exercise be it HIIT, mat pilates, yoga or spinning. Even if the weather is bad with howling winds and temperatures in the low singles, I get on with it in the comfort of my home, knowing it will be done in 20 minutes and I will glide on the endorphins the rest of the day. 

The results over a year, in terms of hours of exercise, are similar plus some other benefits too:

I incorporate other exercises into my daily routine whenever possible too. Walking 20 minutes to-and-from the supermarket when I need some light grocery, which adds 4,500 steps to my day. And I strongly subscribe to the principle of ‘use it or lose it’, so carrying grocery is a neat way to sneak in weight-bearing exercise to prevent sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass) and to maintain bone density, 2 natural effects of aging.

Doing a little everyday is also how I go about tasks that I dislike but must get done: clearing my iPhone photos, messages in my laptop, house-cleaning as I go along instead of scheduling 1.5hrs on Sat mornings like most friends do.

I don’t go out of the way to do anything fancy or spectacular, just incorporating into everyday tasks and I achieve my targets. You can too!

What About Bad Routines Or Habits?

Can the power of everyday be applied to stop a bad habit? Believe it or not, our brains are not wired to process negation as quickly compared to straightforward thoughts such as “run” or “hide”. This is  ingrained in our evolutionary fight or flight response for survival. The brain processes actionable words first in case split-second response is needed to preserve life.

So when a parent says: ‘Don’t walk into the puddle” to a kid, the word that is processed first is ‘walk’, followed by ‘puddle’. The negation word ‘don’t’ is processed thereafter as it is more difficult to execute. The brain has to first identify the initial action before it can apply the action to refrain. 99% of the time, the kid will stomp right into the puddle. A much better way is to say: ’Jump over the water’. 

To break a bad habit, don’t think ‘I will not smoke today’ which instinctively focuses the brain on the action. Replace it with a positive do-able action like: “I will contribute $1 to my travel fund” whenever the urge to smoke arises. This is a way to thwart the mind towards a preferred alternative.

Small Steps Big Results

Applying the ‘power of everyday’ concept enables tackling a challenge in smaller scale as opposed to a grandiose plan. Many people think of retirement planning as a complicated and humongous task to be tackled only when some financial resources and investing knowledge have been built up. Unfortunately, that often leads to postponement because both conditions require time. 

But time need not be an enemy, it can be an ally in investing. Use these 2 simple strategies to start investing for your retirement. Even if you start small, be consistent and keep at it. You will thank yourself 10 years from now.

Starting with small tasks is less daunting, easier to achieve and provides quick results. Completing a task, no matter how small, gives a sense of achievement and this positive feedback loop instills control over your plans. With control comes confidence and the motivation to keep repeating it, leading to success. 

Your Choice

Results are the direct outcome of actions. You can choose for big schemes or go for smaller actionable tasks everyday. The outcomes may be similar but the power of everyday is easier, less dreary and hence more likely to be achieved. Everything is relative in life so aim to be a little better today than yesterday and you’ll be on your way to where you want to be.

The only person you should try to be better than…is the person you were yesterday.”   ~  Matty Mullins.

As the sun kisses the horizon to bid goodbye to yet another day, why not start thinking about embedding the changes you want into everyday routine? That way, they become a part of your life instead of allowing life to get in the way.

 

Make everyday count,

Savvy Maverick

 

(Main image: Duy Nguyen, Unsplash

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are drawn from my own experiences and do not constitute financial advice in any way whatsoever. Nothing published here constitutes an investment recommendation, nor should any data or content be relied upon for any investment activities. It is strongly recommended that independent and thorough research be undertaken before making any financial decisions, including consulting a qualified professional.