Now I am writing this for myself and everyone else out there reading. One of the most difficult things is being consistent. I was watching Rosy this morning. She stood and waited to eat her food and just looked at me. I went to the freezer, got out her fish oil capsule dipped it in peanut butter and she took it, waited for me to rub her ears, and went to eat. She knows the routine and will just stop and wait for me to “get with it”. She will not eat without that vitamin.
In the evening, she does the same thing. After she has gone outside for the final time, she waits for our evening to end. If I lag behind she will keep reminding me to go to bed. Oh yes, I have caught extra sleep thanks to Rosy!
I also have a patient, who tells me that his dog walks around the bed nudging him to get up. A great wake up call indeed. He doesn’t need an alarm clock with that support!
Now other things help us too. The radio or alarm clock, the phone reminders, the garbage men (who help me remember what day I am on), going to church each weekend, a luncheon meeting, or whatever. These things are a big help and give us the momentum to do well.
So why is it that our pets are so important? Kinda’ obvious in a lot of ways, but I think they show us how being consistent is really helpful. Being on tract in all things helps. We need to keep things that way for our children. It starts early on when a mom is in the grocery store. Children know how far they can push.
So why did I want to write this? Well I find that at the office I am pretty consistent, because I have systems in place that work. I am able to accomplish many things and flow from one thing to another. Systems teach us; they help us stay on track. They help us form good habits. Systems are formulas that work; a sequence of steps that get us to complete a task.
Like so many of us, I am watching what I eat. It is easy to fall into a sump or rather try to ignore the extra pounds that creep on. The scale isn’t the only gauge, their are medical tests, and/or feeling awful, but it does indicate a trend. With the holidays in place, I have made sure to put systems in place for myself. I found support to lose the pounds, better food choices in the refrigerat0r, and the use of a walking tracker!
Consistency is the key to so much of what we do to embrace a healthy lifestyle. We try to balance our family time, personal moments, prayer, exercise, and time with supportive friends. May your week be filled with all the above. “Delight in Living” and see the Mini Miracles flow!