Ross-Arthurs - A Guide to Making Exercise, Eating Healthy and Reading a Habit

A GUIDE TO MAKING EXERCISE, EATING

HEALTHY AND READING A HABIT

Copyright 2020 by Ceola Ross Arthurs

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form whatsoever or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher, except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976 or for the inclusion quotations in an acknowledged review.

First published in the United States 2020

Printed in the United States of America

DEDICATION

To my dearest Akilah- the light of my world; you were born to achieve greatness. I know currently, you are not a fan of our predominantly plant-based meals. I however pray that on your journey to fulfilling your purpose you will truly understand the importance of safeguarding your health through lifestyle choices.

Contents

INTRODUCTION

If you are like me, or better yet, like I once was; then you probably can relate to making ambitious New Years resolutions with good intentions on December 31 but somehow not living up to them before the month of January even ends. For the coming year, I will be reading a book per month. Sounds familiar right? Another popular one, I need to add exercise to my daily routine- five times a week should work for me. Oh, and yes, I need to make healthier choices when it comes to what I eat. For many of us, if we should recount the many New Years resolutions we have made over the last five years that have gone unkept, the list would be endless.

Working in the financial services industry, I can recall leaving numerous sales conventions with recommended books to read that would supposedly add value to my development and success as a banker. I can also recall buying and even sometimes borrowing many great books from friends and family, only to read a few pages before disinterest reared its ugly head.

I can also remember paying several gym membership fees that went down the drain. You see, my experience with gyms is that they always have some great specials where the discount on signing up for three or more months membership instead of a month is simply too good of a deal to pass. So of course, I have always opted for three months membership or more; but yes, you guessed it right- I would quit after a month; hence another wasted investment.

Then there is the desire to make healthier food choices. As someone who fell extremely ill more than a decade ago with condition undiagnosed, I truly understand the adage that says "let your food be your medicine''. It was returning to the original diet given unto man by the creator (fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains) that lead to the restoration of my health. However, less than a year after feeling better I returned to my old eating habits and struggled to make healthier choices thereafter.

The amazing thing about humans is that even though we may not always take the action that we know is right, the internal struggle between what is right and wrong never cease to plague us. This situation was all too familiar to me when it came to eating healthy. Every Friday I would find myself ordering from those popular fast-food outlets but my conscience would not allow me to enjoy my meal. Even if I did bask in the unhealthy yet satisfying to the palette food, that small voice in my head would appear thereafter you know you shouldnt have eaten that, many of todays illnesses are linked to the food we eat and the internal scolding went on and on. This internal conflict propelled me to my resolve of making a concerted effort to foster better habits.

Thankfully, I discovered some simple and inexpensive methods for developing a habit of exercising (no gym fees involved if you are someone on a budget), reading, and eating healthy. I do hope you will be motivated on your journey of putting your best life forward!

CHAPTER 1

Understanding Habits

As a child growing up in rural Jamaica, the statement "you have a bad habit" was quite familiar. On many occasions, my mother would hurl the statement at me referring to my tendency to suck my thumb. Without any attempt to find out the formal definition that existed for the term habit, I concluded from an early age that a habit involved repeated actions. While this is true, literature exists that provides a broader definition of habits and how they are formed. Stephen Covey in his book 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' defines a habit as, "the intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire". Knowledge is knowing what to do and the reason for wanting to do it, skill is how to do and desire is the motivation to do. Covey suggests to develop a habit we must possess all three; that is knowledge, skill, and desire.

It was from reading Covey's book that I was able to fully understand why I struggled to develop a habit of reading, exercising, and eating healthy. The reason is unique to many individuals; we lack one or more of the necessary components. We may possess the skill and have the knowledge as we are aware of what to do and why, however, we lack the desire. Reading is not fun, exercise is hard, and eating healthy is not as appealing or tasty as the unhealthy stuff.

The concept also helped me to understand why I updated my status almost daily, a habit that many of you have also developed since the revolution of technology. This common practice developed into a habit because I possessed the skill, knowledge, and desire to carry out the action. As the views and comments increased, so too the desire to act simultaneously increased.

In understanding habits, we must understand how potent of an ingredient desire is to the process. The truth is, once we have the desire-motivation to act, habit formation is within our grasp. In the words of Napoleon Hill, desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.

In chapter 5, steps to developing a habit of eating healthy are shared. Individuals who have been experiencing success on their journey of healthy eating also shared their testimonials. In interviewing these individuals, I observed one commonality as they talked about their experiences. They all indicated that it was desire that played a critical role in developing a habit of eating healthy. At their lowest points when the temptation of changing course seemed appealing, it was the burning desire and focusing on the benefits to be derived from eating healthy that kept them going.

Chapter 2

Overcoming THRS (The Hate Reading Syndrome)

It is said that reading maketh a man and he who reads lead. Then why is it that so many of us struggle to make this action that promises such great reward a habit? The excuses are countless and we somehow go through life content with our justifications. We know the value a habit of reading can add to our lives. Yes, we do! Yes, you do! If we didn't, why do we buy so many reading books as gifts for our children, niece's nephews, cousins, and friends? Some of us even have reading rules for our children, bedtime stories, read a chapter daily and summarize. We even read to our children while they were yet in the womb. Even though I too suffered from the HR syndrome, I can remember reading Iyanla Vanzant's' The Spirit of a Man' to my unborn baby girl. I tell you, the hypocrisy is blatant!

I too was filled with many excuses. There was just not enough time to incorporate reading into my daily routine. After all, I am a mother who had to help with homework; and dont let me start on homework in Jamaica. Full participation from parents seems to be an unspoken requirement. Which four-year-old child can make a mode of transportation? That was one of my daughters assignment when she was in kindergarten. Then, there are PTA meetings to attend and extracurricular activities on the weekend, and on top of it all, my job was very demanding. The year my daughter was doing her Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), my place of work sent me on a two-day training. One of the motivational speakers was an author and as faith would have it my employer had purchased copies of the speaker's book for all employees who were in attendance at the workshop. I eventually read the book two years later and it really had a profound impact on my life. Why did it take me two years to read a book that was filled with so much wisdom on how to maximize one's potential? Not only was the book a game-changer, but it was also free! Simple- I hated reading and my daughter's preparation for her GSAT exams was the perfect hiding place for my unwillingness to make an effort. Therefore, I convinced myself I didn't have the time to read as helping my daughter prepare to succeed in what was a very important examination was a priority.