Instead of resolutions, build a habit that will change your life
The resolution trap
Many of are having a version of this conversation this time of year, “Have you made any New Year’s Resolutions?” I asked my friend. And she took a deep breath before she rattled off…
“Oh yes! I’m going to lose weight, start running, declutter my house FOR REAL THIS TIME, start eating better, get organized, be a better mom, stick to a budget, well I have to make the budget first, but ….” I felt overwhelmed just LISTENING to her plan to basically reinvent herself.
Let’s be honest, she’s not unusual. Many of us take the New Year as an opportunity to see every single personal failing and decide we have to completely change who we are and doitrightnow. Tis’ the season to overhaul ourselves, and that can be the kiss of death for lasting change! I’ve had resolution lists that were 30 items long in years past. 30. I wish I were kidding.
The magic word approach
Other people pick a phrase or word for the year, like courage or intention. Last year my mantra was, “Done is better than perfect.” It changed so much about my life because my inner perfectionist paralyzes me, so I repeated it to myself constantly as a way to push myself forward.
But I’m also a very tactical person, and a word or phrase of the year has also done nothing for me in years past because there were no actions attached to it. I’ve chosen words like balance (I chose this one for several years in a row), and nothing changed because if I don’t have a plan of execution, what does that even mean? For me it was too vague and too big.
A realistic approach to change: habits
In 2018 I started listening to a podcast I shared with you in one of my Favorites videos (and SO MANY of you have messaged me to say how much of an impact it is having on you as well!) called The Life Coach School with Brooke Castillo.
One episode I’ve listened to several times is #236 – The Compound Effect. She talks about the power of consistency in our actions, the power of doing something 365 days a year, and the success that brings.
“The big wins are made up of the little wins, and the big quits are made up of the little quits. The little decisions that we make every day will eventually add up to…a compound effect.” – Brooke Castillo
It’s easy to overlook and dismiss the power of small choices every day. Does it matter if I do this thing again today? Maybe I won’t see a big change immediately, but doing or not doing it everyday does add up.
“Anything you do everyday is significant.” – Brooke Castillo
“The way we change our lives is by changing our days.” – Brooke Castillo
“Success is built daily in the small, insignificant choices we make, and that is the compound effect.” – Brooke Castillo
What do you want to 365? Yes, I made 365 into a verb. I’ve got a habit for you that will change your days, and the compound effect will change your life.
one daily habit that can change your life
The Compound effect of Getting Dressed
Better relationships
When I get dressed I immediately feel better (or, #honestmoment, on a day when I’m sick or wake up with a pounding headache like today, I feel less bad, and that’s a win). Feeling better improves my mood. An improved mood means I have better interactions with my family and others I encounter that day. Positive interactions improve my relationships. Better relationships mean more overall happiness.
When I’m put together for driving my kids to school and their sports, I’m not hiding in the carpool line and praying no one recognizes me. I am confident about waving to a friend, running in to pay some fees, or stopping to chat with the receptionist (because she is hilarious and I always leave happier after a laugh with her).
Accept a last-minute lunch invitation with a friend? Yes! Because I’m dressed and ready to go. I chat with another woman while waiting for my kids during swim lessons and make a new friend or am uplifted in some way.
At the end of our lives, the quality of our relationships will be all the matters, and good relationships bring us the most happiness.
being present
I say yes to candid pictures with my friends and family without a second thought Raise your hand if you’re missing from special moment pictures because you didn’t feel picture-worthy. Have you gone through albums and felt sad that your mom, sister, friend or another loved one is missing from all the pictures?
Yesterday my daughter wanted to video me sewing up a rip in her stuffed dragon, and I said yes because I wasn’t worried about how I looked. Now that moment with my daughter is mine forever.
Self care
I learned a very painful lesson about the importance of self care in the form of years of health problems. Getting dressed every day is one form of self care I don’t compromise on. Refilling your well is CRITICAL or you won’t have anything to give. Because I didn’t stop to take care of myself for years, my body shut down and said, “Enough! We can’t do this anymore.”
I literally lost years of my life because I was so sick all I could manage was sitting in a chair, and there were months I was bed-ridden because I drove myself OVER the edge of exhaustion. Getting dressed isn’t the only form of self-care I need, but it’s a critical one because it sets me up to do the other ones.
Boost your self esteem
Everyone has better self esteem when they look better, but making yourself a priority first thing every day boosts your self esteem in a way that stays with you when the makeup comes off.
It’s so easy to put ourselves last on the list when we are taking care of those we love. Caring for others IS important, and caring for yourself is equally important.
The message “I matter. I’m important enough to show up for,” is more for you than anyone else because you are the one who believes it the least. Boost your self esteem by repeating the message that you are worth a few minutes every day to look put together with ACTIONS! Saying you matter means nothing if you don’t put an action behind it.
Showing up for yourself by getting dressed adds to your internal foundation of self esteem, and carries over into how you feel about yourself in every area of your life, not just how you look. It breeds confidence, which turns into courage, and that leads to action, which brings you results.
MOre Productive
Getting dressed kick-starts my day. In 20 minutes I shift from, “Can I please crawl back in bed?” to “Let’s get going!”
This one habit tells my brain it’s go time, and I get to work on whatever the day requires: making breakfast for the kids and getting them to school, writing blog posts and showing up in my Facebook communities, taking my dog out, driving the kids to their sports, running errands, folding laundry, tackling emails.
I work from home, and there are days I don’t leave the house or see anyone but my family, but I get dressed because I can’t get anything done in my pajamas. There is no drive, and my brain is on idle, using fuel but going nowhere.
My business and my personal life would not be where they are today if I spent my days in yoga pants. I show up to my job as a mom, a wife, and a work-from-home entrepreneur the same way I did when I worked in an office.
It all adds up
I could fill a book about the compound effects of the one act of getting dressed every day, but I think you get the idea. The benefits of all of these compound effects have immediate consequences and long-term consequences. It has affected my life on every level because I am always ready to show up in my life.
See how I do it
My passion for this seemingly superficial topic (I hope you can see it’s anything but superficial) is so strong I created a NEW video to show you how I get ready in 20 minutes along with a FREE downloadable cheat sheet with my exact routine, plus my top tips to get ready in 20 minutes or less. I even share what I did on a day I overslept (because it happens to all of us)!
You get to see exactly how I do it, and you can tape the cheat sheet to your mirror. Maybe the ideas in my routine will help you with yours. I’m all about efficiency, so I do things in a specific order to save time. Get access to the video and cheat sheet here.
Ready for a Free simple step-by-step plan to get ready in 20 minutes or less everyday?
My “Get Ready in 20 Minutes or Less” video + 10 Tips Cheat Sheet is available FREE at the link below and will help you look put together, comfortable and ready for anything the day brings you…in record time!
A challenge
Here’s the challenge: get up and get dressed every day for a week and see what changes you notice. If you do nothing else, put on an outfit. Grab a top, some pants (not yoga pants), and shoes. Brush your hair. If you have time for more, add a basic makeup look of brows, lashes and lips. But GET DRESSED!
Notice what it does for you. If you’re the journaling type, write about it or make bullet-point notes in your phone. Or tell me about it! Comment here below, share in the Facebook group, whatever works for you. It makes my day when I hear from a woman who has taken this challenge and seen the positive results.
If you 365 getting dressed, I PROMISE the compound effect will change your life. Are you in?
