Keeping it Simply, Simple

Confession: It is a real conscious effort for me "to keep it simple." What I mean is that soon after I embark on a new task/project/habit ... I WANT TO DO MORE. Part of it might be that I am a Type A Personality (maybe).

Type A or not, research shows that I am not alone in this impulse to "want to go big or go home." Which is probably why keeping it simple is highly emphasized by habit change professionals and literature on the topic.

Anecdotally, yesterday, after walking three days in a row, as I contemplated the beauty of the Strawberry Moon, my mind wondered … "Should I start looking for Pilates classes? Should I start practicing yoga first thing in the morning again?"

It took a minute for me to recognize the oh-so-familiar impulse of wanting to do more. And it's not that I won't ever do more. It is just that this is not the moment to incorporate more, not even if the more is enticingly beloved. The beginning stages of new habit formation are the moment to keep it simple and consistent.

In the 21-Day Movement Challenge, this means it is the moment to continue walking for ten minutes daily, then in week two for twenty, and in week three for thirty. Once the challenge is complete and the habit has been more established, I can decide what is added or needed.

Simplicity and consistency are powerful tools for establishing/or reestablishing habits. And because I genuinely want to walk daily forever, I will do the work of Keeping It Simply, Simple! (which is how I prefer the acronym).

What about you? Does a similar impulse of “needing to do more” when you embark on new tasks show up for you, too, or not really?

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