Two signs with Old Habits pointing to the left and New Habits to the rightI hear this all the time from women I am training and coaching: “I just don’t have time for myself. I don’t have time to think about and nurture my dreams and goals. I don’t have time to develop myself.”
 
That is absolute rubbish. You are just not in the habit of doing it, but it is a habit that can be developed, and it only takes a few minutes each day.
 
Let me say right up front that I too did not think I had the time for this. I was so busy checking things off my to do list. And I did not feel I could go to bed if there were even 1 item on the list. The next day always started with my checking email first and then composing my next to do list. And, of course, there was never time for me on that to do list. Can you see yourself doing the same thing?
 
But this is just a habit that can be changed. Although when changing a habit, it can be uncomfortable. And it does take time for a habit to form. Dr. Maxwell Maltz first proposed in the mid 20th century that it takes 21 days to form a habit. And this became conventional wisdom for some time. But recent studies by NASA suggest it might be closer to 30 days. Let’s just say it takes a month to form a successful habit.
 
So let’s all dedicate ourselves to 1 month of making ourselves and our dreams and our development a priority. Let’s try for 30 days to take 15 minutes every day just for ourselves. It can be first thing in the morning, mid day over lunch, or the last thing you do before hitting the pillow. But make it a priority. It’s just 15 minutes per day and only for a month.
 
But I bet by the end of that month it will be a priority.
 
I do it first thing in the morning. And I have been doing it for several years now, so it has become a habit. I cannot imagine starting my day without a few minutes for me. But it did take awhile. Now it is like brushing my teeth. I don’t think that much about it. I just do it.
 
So I challenge you to do the same. Get an accountability partner to keep you focused on this. Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day. Just get back into it the next day.

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