Practice makes...patterns!

Back in November, I began a series of posts sharing the principles I describe and use in The Power of the Pause.

"Be in your body"
"You can't change anything you're not aware of."
"Sustainable change happens one choice at a time, building on small steps."

You might have noticed by now that although they may be simple, they're not always easy. Our next principle:

"Anything you practice, you'll get better at. What are you practicing?"

We know intuitively that when we practice a sport, hobby or a musical instrument, we get better at it.

Repeated actions embed patterns into our nervous systems; we sometimes refer to this as "muscle memory." Patterns save us energy - we don't need to spend precious brain power on thinking about how to make coffee, brush our teeth, or walk.

What most of us don't realize is that the same nervous system that creates patterns to help us learn and improve physical skills also enables us to learn and improve skills in other areas of our lives - relationships, self-care, feeling and expressing emotions...

Any repeated action, thought or emotion creates a pattern - sometimes such a strong pattern that we don't think we can behave or react any other way.

I think it's safe to assume we've each had moments of wondering, "why do I always do that?" (and then there's often another pattern of shame or guilt that piggybacks onto that awareness...)

Those old patterns never go away (so you can stop criticizing yourself for them now), but it is possible to create new patterns that eventually become your go-to. How do you create new patterns?

Practice.

This all sounds so simple doesn't it? Simple doesn't necessarily mean easy, especially when it comes to the things that are most important to us. So give yourself a healthy dose of grace. It took time and practice (not to mention lots of mistakes!) for you to learn how to tie your shoes, add & subtract, read & write... Can you celebrate each new awareness, each small step?

• What do you want more of in your life?

• What do you want less of?

• What are you practicing?

• What do you want to practice?

If you're feeling stuck in old patterns, thoughts and beliefs, coaching can help you find clarity, focus on what matters to you, and create a sustainable, step-by-step plan toward your goals.

Coaching is a great way of filtering out the noise and tuning into what's important to you. It works because you decide what you want to work on each session. I ask questions and help you to feel inward so you become clearer about what you want and what's getting in your way, and you create an action plan that feels right for you, that you're excited about and motivated to follow through with.

If this sounds like the clarity you need, let's talk and see if it feels like a fit. No pressure, no obligation.

Looking for some common-sense, doable & sustainable steps towards improved health? Here's an article from the New York Times you might enjoy: