Is Your Routine Building Your Future or Maintaining Your Past?

Three subjects I will always champion are books, music, and exercise. While each plays a significant role in my life, reading reigns supreme. Audiobooks have their place, and Kindle books suffice when necessary, but nothing compares to the perfection of a physical book in hand. There was a time when I struggled to carve out moments for pure enjoyment in reading, often confining myself to learning materials that could be mentally exhausting. However, the thrill of cracking open a new book solely to immerse myself in the captivating world of its characters ignites a joyful spark in my brain. It’s a delightful rush of dopamine and serotonin, sprinkled with a hint of oxytocin. The notion that some people don’t read is utterly baffling to me. Within the pages of a book, I embark on journeys, explore new territories, cultivate my imagination, and savor the escape it provides. Engaging with literature is both an active and passive experience; if you’re a passionate reader, you know exactly what I’m describing.

Reading propels writing, which fosters self-expression and promotes the sharing of ideas—a beautifully straightforward form of therapy that liberates one’s thoughts. I needed a space to create and share ideas, a powerful therapeutic release that can help others too. Starting a blog excites me rather than overwhelms me. I’ve come a long way since my first attempt in 2009, where I only managed to post once. It’s incredible how I rediscovered that journey this past June. Returning to WordPress to launch WunderWalks has been a triumphant reconnection with a part of my creativity eager to shine.

So many parts of our day to day routine start and end with step one or two of this chart.

Think about how many New Year’s resolutions you’ve made (intention), perhaps practiced diligently for a week or a month, only to see them gradually fade by February. It’s completely understandable if you find yourself wondering if any of them truly stuck and became second nature. Statistically, a staggering 92% of individuals who set a goal encounter setbacks. This can feel disheartening, especially knowing that it often stems from not making it to the action step (practice). Many of us start with such hopeful intentions, along with the drive and dedication to succeed. What tends to be missing is that crucial strength of mind to forge a new path. A humbling realization indeed is that we sometimes become our own obstacles; however, once we acknowledge this, taking action becomes a more attainable journey.

Our brains are wired to keep us safe. Routine is comfort. Change is hard, often throwing our body into a flight, fight or freeze response. This internal safety mechanism starts flashing and you have no idea why. Let’s talk about my new car for a moment. It’s a 2023, and has a lot of fancy safety features that I don’t necessarily want or need. One of them is to warn me with a beep if the lead car pulls away. Another one warns me if the lead car puts on their breaks. Both helpful for safety. Until one day, I was driving to work. Traffic on interstate 95 is terrible in the morning so it was a bit congested. My car is small and I’m a decent driver – assertive but not aggressive. I noticed the car in front of me was stopping. There was plenty of space to merge but I had to speed up. When I pressed the gas, the car’s internal safety mechanism started breaking for me. It was a total shock. I did not get into an accident, but that feature was turned off indefinitely. This is what what happens in our brains when we encounter something new. There is a safety feature up there too. And they way to power it down, is to take action.

In 2009, my intention for a blog was there but reflecting on who I was at the time makes me think it was an impulsive decision to begin writing. While confident, I also lacked the ability to flow through life without external validation. Sometimes when we start a new project or goal, we don’t see the results in the time we expected. Even if the action is started, not enough time is allowed for something to become second nature. When training people new to exercise, I tell them not to take a day off for at least a month. Seems extreme but for your brain to rewire and create a safe pathway, it needs to repeat a behavior. I’m sandwiched between two small get-a-ways. I wouldn’t call them vacations, rather time away from the norm. In 2009, adding to this blog would not have been a priority. But this time around, I recognized the need to be consistent with writing. My goal was 3 blogs a week. I won’t make that goal this week but that’s ok. And that’s growth.

It’s completely understandable that many of us don’t realize we can move between intention and action as often as we need. The beautiful, seamless connection between setting a goal and fully embodying that lifestyle can feel daunting. The ability to pause, reflect, and then resume our journey is crucial; it’s what helps us navigate through the action phase. When you push past that initial fear, your mind starts to forge new pathways, no longer holding you back out of misguided concern for your well-being. You begin to nurture the belief that you truly can achieve your dreams, even if it feels like just the beginning. So, no matter what intentions you have for your future self, take a gentle step forward today. Just start. Your mind may whisper that the timing isn’t right, but trust that it’s just a protective instinct. Shift your thoughts to: why not me? and why not today? Your future self will be grateful for this courageous leap!