So what is a structure? A structure is something that reminds us of what we want to achieve, something we want to do (an action), carry out (goals) or become (our life purpose, our future vision of ourselves).

We use structures in three different ways:

As reminders: examples include your planner, notes to you on a post-it, a shopping list to take with you to the grocery store, or leaving something by the door that you want to take with you.

For inspiration: Examples include inspirational quotes or images, placed in areas that you stare at a lot. The images can be of something you would like to draw into your life or they can evoke a positive memory. Photographs of your family can remind you of what is really important. Funny pictures or quotes can make you laugh and face your day with a happier heart. If you are saving money for a vacation, you may be posting a beach scene.

For tracking: Examples include exercise logs, wearing a pedometer to track (and increase) the number of “steps” you take in a day. One of my favorite and most useful structures is the food journal: I not only record the foods I eat, but also my emotional and mental health, my physical health and exercise, and my sleeping habits.

Using structures for reminders, inspiration, and follow-up can help you develop healthier habits in your life. Experts agree that it takes 21 days to form a new habit.
Until something becomes a habit, you need to create a structure or routine around it.

For example, you would like to create the new habit of drinking 8 glasses of water a day, recommended for a variety of health benefits, as well as the prevention of disabling conditions. What are some structures I could use?

Reminders:

1. Carry water with you – Keep a travel mug, bottle, or glass by your side whenever you are sitting for long periods of time (including the car).

2. Post a note where you sit most often during the day, reminding you to drink water.

Inspiration:

1. Think about what you are trying to accomplish the most with your water intake (healthy skin, general health, weight loss) and try to find a picture that represents those benefits. Post it or take it with you.

2. Create a list of all benefits and post it or take it with you.

Follow-up:

1. Premeasured Bottles – Buy several bottles of water (which you can later refill with tap or filtered water – be sure to wash with soapy water in between). Use them to keep track of how much water you drink throughout the day. Pour from the bottle into a glass or drink straight from the bottle. At the end of the day, aim to drink 2 liters of water.

2. Water Log Sheet – List all the days of the week and use check marks to mark when a glass of water has run out. You can watch this as you go and notice when your water intake increases. You can also notice the days when you drink less and can do a little detective work (maybe it’s always the days when you have night classes or maybe it’s the days when you run errands at lunchtime) and come up with strategies to that particular topic. situation.

Part of what I do as a self-care coach is brainstorm with my clients about the different structures that can work for them. The best thing about the structures is that you can try them; if they don’t work there is always something else. So if you “fail” to create a new habit, it is great learning to point you in the direction of another structure that will work better for you.

Instead of blaming yourself or using it as an excuse to stray further from your goals, remind yourself why you want to make the change in the first place and get back to the drawing board!

TIPS FOR CREATING EFFECTIVE STRUCTURES

1. Think of someone else. The things we think about ourselves are sometimes not radical enough to propel us into a new routine. The bigger the change you are trying to make, the more noticeable the structure should be.

2. Try to use more than one of your senses. Find a structure that you can hold in your hand or use as clothing or accessories. Find something that catches your eye. Use a song: Remember Ally McBeal and her personal “theme song”?

3. Play with different structures until you find the right one. Maybe something worked for a few days and then stopped. Think about what worked and use it to create your next endeavor.

4. People can be a structure. Being accountable to your coach, spouse, friend, colleague, children, or other family members can be very motivating!

5. What has motivated you in the past? Don’t reinvent the wheel, use past experiences to help you now.

(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.