BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, the sun isn’t even up and your alarm clock is blaring in the darkness as you fumble around searching for the snooze button.  How many times have you made a plan to get up early to exercise, meditate, or maybe even get caught up on some work?  You set your alarm for 5am and when the alarm goes off you hit the snooze button and then you hit it again and again.  By the time you finally get up an hour or more has gone by and you’ve slept through your plan.  Sound familiar?  Starting a routine can be hard, especially at the beginning.  I’ve heard it takes a solid commitment of 14 days before something becomes a habit.  I believe this to be true because I’ve seen it in my own life.  I sometimes wonder how I accomplish everything I do in a day.  If you saw my list of to-dos it might scare you.  At the end of the day when I look back on everything that I’ve done during the course of the day I’m shocked at how much of an Energizer Bunny I am.  I manage to muster up strength at my lowest moments.  I’m sure you’ve had these moments yourself; you know the moments where you feel like the whole world needs something from you but you don’t have anything left to give.  Here is where will power and  mind over matter comes into play.  When you push yourself you have breakthroughs, so I’m here to push you to challenge yourself and make a commitment to you.  Before we get to the challenge here are five tips to help you get ready for what’s ahead:

• Go to sleep: I’ve talked about this before and how important this is to your overall health.  Make sure you are getting a good nights rest.  It is recommended that the average adult get 7-8 hours of sleep every night.  If you can get 7-8 hours great, if not at least try to get 6-7.  Getting the sleep your body needs will have you clear and alert in the morning.
• Start small:  Pick a small task to start with.  Set a goal to complete that task everyday for the next 2 weeks, like waking up everyday at 5am or exercising for fifteen minutes everyday.  Controlling small patterns of behavior will get you that much closer to where you want to be.  Starting small will build your will power for the larger goals you have set for yourself.
• Kick the temptation:  Plan ahead so that you don’t fall short of your goal.  If things don’t go right don’t get discouraged or tempted to go back to your old ways.  Remember that you’re human, no one is perfect; beating yourself up will only make you more discouraged.  Stay the course, focus and press forward.
• Remind yourself of what you are trying to accomplish: Always keep in mind why you are doing what you are doing, whether that be establishing a new routine or stopping an old one.  It is important to keep this at the forefront everyday.  I love to use sticky notes, I post them in spots that I know I will see daily, like the mirror in the bathroom.  The constant reminders will help you stay on track.
• Just Do It!: Determination is the true meaning of will power; so stop making excuses, set the goal, get up and do it.

I’m not sure what your goal is or what you want to accomplish, just know that it’s possible.  Whether you are looking to start a new routine or put an end to one, you have everything you need to make it happen and I’m here to encourage you along the way.  I’ve done it and so can you!

So here is the challenge:  I want you to look at your calendar and set a goal that you would like to reach in the next 14 days.  Make a commitment to do whatever it is everyday for the next two week.  Make sure to start small, you can always move on to something larger once you’ve achieved your first goal.

Make sure to share with us or comment below on what you will be working on over the next 14 days.  Good luck and I’m routing for you all the way!