About two months ago, I was struggling to build consistent habits. Like so many others, I am attracted to extremes. I want to do the craziest things, and I want to do them right away! This has led me to jump into numerous diets (keto, paleo, vegetarian, etc.) and crazy training plans that I could never maintain for more than a week (sometimes as little as 48 hours). 

You see, if I had stepped back with humility, I would have realized that I wasn’t ready to make drastic changes to my lifestyle so quickly. Yes, the couple of days I ate keto I felt amazing! But after the initial excitement died down, there was no way I could keep it up.

It got discouraging. I wanted to make changes in my diet and training. I didn’t feel like I was reaching my potential, but I couldn’t stick to my crazy commitments. It was too much too fast.

The 3 Simple Rules

After watching me struggle, my dad came and asked if I wanted three simple rules. “Yes!” I eagerly replied. This is what he said:

1. Avoid the Three White Devils

You can eat whatever you want, except white sugar, white flour, and white milk.

2. Get More Sunshine

You must be outside in the morning for at least ten minutes. Try to spend as much time outside as you can.

3. Stay Moving

Just be active and avoid sitting. You don’t have to work out or stretch. Instead, constantly be on the move.

All of this stuff is super obvious, and I had definitely heard it before. It seemed so simple and easy and was not as glamorous as my previous plans. But I decided to try it and see how it went.

The Results

The first week I succeeded in avoiding all the three of the white devils. I took my school outside and ended up spending at least four hours outside on our lanai. And I didn’t train. Instead, I took a swim between each of my subjects and played badminton.

By the end of that week, I already felt so much happier and more energized. The feeling of following my simple manageable plan AND seeing results after only a week was so exciting!

The second week I was still going strong. It was amazing! Instead of feeling ready to quit, I actually felt like I had a strong foundation I could build on. I started my triathlon training (read about our triathlon journey here), started drinking turmeric tea to avoid inflammation, and doing a daily 10-minute mobility practice.

After only two weeks I saw so many results. I felt more focused, slept better, and even noticed improvements in my skin.  I hadn’t done my usual deep stretching, but because I was constantly moving my flexibility was actually better and more balanced (still so surprised by this one!).

But most importantly, I felt so happy and proud of myself! After trying to build consistent habits for so long I was finally able to follow through with my commitments. My goals didn’t feel like a formidable weight. Rather I felt that they were easy! I actually didn’t have to put forth a lot of effort to feel happier and more accomplished. I was doing less and seeing more improvement.

Every week since I have either kept my strong base or tried to build by adding a new practice. If it gets to be too much, that’s fine, as long as I maintain my foundation: my dad’s three rules. (Although I have taken cheat days for the first rule, the three white devils, on birthdays or other important festivities. It would be rude not to eat birthday cake!)

There have been days when I really don’t feel up to my triathlon training or other things I had planned to do. But that’s okay! Because my three rules are so manageable, I don’t have to feel energetic or motivated to accomplish them and I can still have a productive day.

It Doesn’t Have to Be Hard

I know these three rules seem easy. But I can’t emphasize this enough: 

Sometimes we think things need to be really challenging to work. I have good news: that’s not true! 

It doesn’t matter what you choose to do. I highly recommend the three rules my dad gave me, but perhaps that’s too much and you need to start with just one of them. Or maybe you already have similar habits implemented and can do even more! For some people the training or diet plans I couldn’t even maintain for a week might be totally effortless. Everyone is at a different place.

The most important thing is to do the obvious things you know are good for you but just seem too easy. Everyone knows getting outside, avoiding processed food, and being active are good for you. But how many of us implement this knowledge in our daily lives?

Think about the difference it could make in our lives if we always acted on our knowledge. If we stopped taking it for granted and allowed it to guide us to a healthier, happier place.

I still have a lot of consistency to build! But so far it has been pretty smooth sailing. In fact, I can’t wait to keep growing and seeing where my three habits will take me.

I would love to hear any thoughts, suggestions, or questions you have!

-BTC