E202: Three Ways to Elevate Your Habits

If you’re experiencing a plateau in your current habits, then perhaps it’s time to elevate! If you need to take things to the next level, but you’re not yet sure what that is… Keep listening because this episode is for YOU!

[00:42] Story Time

Welcome back to the Women’s Empowerment Podcast! I am your host and Healthy Habit Mentor, Valerie LaVigne. A little over a month ago, my partner and I visited Mont Tremblant, Quebec. Neither of us had been there before - well technically I have but not in the summertime. Anyway! We were walking in Old Tremblant when we decided to sit down on a bench by the river. While we were there we saw a young girl on her sailboat, and near where we were sitting on the dock, were her dad and her two brothers wrapped up in blankets.

I didn’t think much of our surroundings at first, but as we watched the girl on her sailboat I noticed a few things. I could see that the dad was communicating with her through a walkie-talkie or something. We could hear that he was talking and it sounded like directions or cues but I can’t say for sure. She almost tipped the boat a few times and it was really cool to watch her changing the sail and ducking under it and all that. I’ve never sailed before or really sat down to watch anyone sail before, so it was pretty neat.

When she came back she shouted, "How did I do? What was my time?!"

The middle brother shouted back that her time was under five minutes.

I guess that was good because she replied, "Haha I bet you can't beat that!"

And the middle brother said, "Yeah I can! I can do better, I can beat that time!"

And the little brother said, "I was cheering for you! Did you hear me? I was cheering you on! YA!"

For the rest of the day I kept thinking about this family and this dynamic. I couldn’t get them out of my mind! While my partner and I were making a fire later that evening I realized that this family interaction and these different energies are the combination that we need to push ourselves to get better and to support us with what we're working on.

We need The Challenger (middle brother) to push us so we can understand our limits and grow out of our comfort zone.

We need The Cheerleader (little brother) to encourage us and keep us accountable.

And we need The Charter (dad) to track us, measure our goals, and keep us moving in the right direction.

After hearing about each of these energies in this family dynamic, which of them do you need to elevate your habits and goals?

Perhaps you are ready to raise the bar higher, then you’ll need the challenger.

Maybe you’re in need of more encouragement, so you’ll need the cheerleader.

And if you aren’t sure what direction you’re in, or where on the path you are, then you’ll need the charter.

[04:20] Flowers Need Fertilizer

Since habits take time, there comes a point where you feel like you're plateauing, but really you’re making invisible changes. Just like when you plant a seed. You place it in the sun, and water it. But you don’t actually see the seed grow, at least not yet! It takes time for the seed to sprout. And when it does, it’s still a tiny sprout that hasn’t yet blossomed into a blooming flower yet! There is still more transformation to come!

This part of your growth - the part where you’re watering, and getting lots of sun - it feels tough because you aren’t seeing the results. The people around you aren’t noticing them either. But they ARE happening, and you need to have faith.

Many times the consistency and perseverance through this phase is what makes or breaks your habits. All too often we give up because we aren’t feeling like the effort is enough.

In my Healthy Habit Coaching programs, I work with you to uncover where you are in your journey and together we understand what it is you need to get to the next stage of your journey. You can think of it like the fertilizer for your seed. It’s not what makes you grow, and of course flowers and plants grow all the time without it, however it can be very helpful for the health of the plant, as well as the speed at which it grows when it has the support of quality fertilizer!

For more customized support, the Make a Habit Mentorship program is my one-on-one coaching within a three month container. Together we create habits rooted in desired feelings, overcome limiting beliefs, unhelpful patterns and inconsistency, and stay excited with the habits that help you feel energized, confident, and healthier.

If consistency is what you’re striving for, and you are looking to build and stack habits with ongoing support, then the Healthy Habit Membership would be what you need. This is our group coaching offering to help you create new habits, routines, and rituals without adding to your already busy schedule.

Lastly, we host a seasonal Elevate Your Life 21 Day Healthy Habit Challenge. This challenge runs live globally. It’s a lot of fun as all of us are building different habits together! Our next challenge runs in early 2023, but they are ongoing, so check out THIS LINK to join the waitlist for our upcoming challenges.

There is one other option to elevating your habits, and that is the DIY route. This is a very great option if you’ve got the discipline and the focus to keep moving forward. And because you’re a listener to this podcast, I have faith that you ARE someone who takes action and strives for progress.

[08:00] The Challenger

If it feels like time for you to raise the bar, and your focus is on “the challenger” energy, here are your best next steps:

1. Write out your goal

2. What would make this goal a LITTLE BIT scarier?

Sometimes this is quantity. If your goal is to walk 10k steps a day, maybe you increase it to 12 or 15k steps daily.

Sometimes it’s timing. You want to create work-life balance this month.. Maybe you shorten the timeline to this week!

As a bonus, another great episode to support you with this is Episode 182: The Power of Passion and Perseverance are the Keys to Success.

[08:58] The Cheerleader

If you’re in need for more encouragement when it comes to elevating your habits, then “the cheerleader” energy is what you need. Here are your next steps:

1. Start a self-love/gratitude journal today! Write down 1-3 things about yourself that you are grateful for every-single-day.

This is, in a way, its own habit. However it WILL elevate your life 100% and will give you the positive power to succeed.

If you’ve decided to add or create multiple habits at once, focus on how far you’ve come and what you’ve achieved so far.

2. Reach out to a friend who can give you the best pep talk. The friend that will remind you of how far you’ve come; the mountains you’ve already climbed; and the times you’ve already won.

Lastly, another helpful podcast episode for cultivating this cheerleader energy is, Episode 81: 5 Tips for Positive Self Talk

[10:05] The Charter

Of course, our last energy is “the charter.” When I think of this one, I remind myself that what gets measured, gets moved. In other words: track your progress. This method will really depend on what exactly your goal is. For everyone, it’s best to keep it as simple as possible.

If your habit can be automatically tracked, that is a bonus! Then all you have to do is check in with your app or automatic tracker every so often to manage your progress. Otherwise, a simple pen and paper does the trick. I have a new Achieve Planner, and I’ve written out a few habits that I want to track each month where I manually track my progress. Checking the box is almost as satisfying as the habits themselves!

Of course, I have a complimenting podcast for this one too! Episode 156: 6 Productivity Solutions You Need to Know

Okay you’ve got your next steps, and you’re ready to grow! Don’t give up on your current habits, routines, and rituals – you’ve got this!

Podcast Host

Valerie LaVigne

Valerie is the creator and founder of Valerie LaVigne Life and the Women's Empowerment Show. She helps busy and empowered women create healthy habits so that they can become the best version of themselves and transform their lives. Learn more about Valerie here!