Embracing Chaos: Developing Backup Habits for Consistency and Growth

Let's embark on season five of "Have a Cup of Johanny," inviting you to explore the chaotic yet rewarding journey of moving to San Antonio. Through personal stories and reflections, we dive into the theme of growth amidst life's unpredictabilities. This episode promises to equip you with practical, backup habits for your high-value or nonnegotiable habits that help maintain balance and consistency when life tries to throw you off course. From staying hydrated to continuously learning, I share how these habits have become my anchor, offering insights on how you can tailor them to align with your personal goals. 

Ever found yourself struggling to keep up with your fitness routine or reading habits while on the go? Discover my flexible strategies for adapting to life's chaos without losing momentum. Whether it's innovative ways to stay fit during travel or leveraging audiobooks to nourish your mind, this episode underscores the power of 'good enough' over perfection. You'll also hear from Joa, as she shares her unique backup habits, and find out how you can contribute too. Let's navigate this journey together, finding creative ways to stay consistent and build anticipation for the exciting episodes ahead.

Enter a world of fear, resilience, and generational trauma in "The Devil That Haunts Me". Follow Isabella and Julitza as they confront their demons in a tale of suspense, mystery, and the supernatural.

Explore the first seven chapters here

Chapters

• 0:00 Backup Habits
• 18:43 Flexible Backup Habits for Consistency
• 30:34 Building Creative Backup Habits

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Oh, we could, we could fly. Welcome to this new season of the have a Cup of Chahani podcast. So I want to title this new season that I'm embarking on with I'm Growing, so this is going to be the season of growth and that's what I'm going to share with you throughout the season. So I thank you for coming over here and sitting with me and I hope you enjoy. Hola vasitos, and welcome to another episode of have a Cup of Johanny podcast.

Speaker 1: 0:34

I have to say that I am so sorry I missed last Wednesday. I am in the midst of moving and last Wednesday I am in the midst of moving and last Wednesday I was still in a hotel. I was very overwhelmed because I was trying to find a rental home in San Antonio and that the place. However, I am in between boxes, as I like to say, so right now they are boxes and suitcases surrounding what would be my office slash guest bedroom. So, yes, I am in flux, but I needed to get on the podcast, because this is one of the things that make me feel happy, because I get to share lessons learned and that always brings me a lot of joy to be able to give back nuggets of information and things that I have learned through a storytelling format, in the hopes that others that hear it may learn something from it. So we are talking about habits this entire January and I'm going to give you something extra in another recording, because I did miss last Wednesday. That has nothing to do with habits miss last Wednesday. That has nothing to do with habits, but nevertheless, we are talking about a life skill that will save your habits when chaos strikes. And right now, as I'm in flux, this is very pertinent to me and I'm actually exercising this thing that I learned right now. And you may be asking all right, joa, what is it? Backup habits, bacitos, backup habits. That's what we're talking about Because, let's be honest, life is going to life, but instead of throwing the towel when things get messy, hectic, chaotic, things get messy, hectic, chaotic, we can learn how to stay consistent in a way that works for us. Are you ready? Of course you are, because why else would you be here? Let's break it down.

Speaker 1: 3:00

All right, let's start first with why backup habits matter and, like I said, I am going through it right now because life is very hectic. I have literally moved from one space to another and in between, we went on vacation because it was the holiday season. So of course I didn't not want it to do that because I feel like I didn't want the move to take away from rejoicing with family during the holidays. So for me this period of my life has been very hectic, very chaotic. Unexpected things have happened. I didn't realize it would be this hard to find a place in San Antonio that met me and my family's needs.

Speaker 1: 3:52

And I have really worked on exercising my backup habits now because it's easy to just say you know what, I will skip today and I'll get back to it the next day. But from experience when I have done that, it is so much harder to come back in because skipping too often makes it easier to quit entirely. And that's why backup habits matter so much. Because if you do get into that rhythm, that habit of just saying, well, I'll skip today, when it gets hectic, chaotic and unexpected things are happening, then that may become a thing that you do every single time. And then if you do do that every single time, then you may just quit that habit that you have nourished. And you nourish this habit because you know you need it, you know it's very important for your life, and we talked about this on previous episodes. So if you do that, then it's almost like you're doing a disservice to yourself and to your life.

Speaker 1: 5:13

So backup habits are there so that way you can stay consistent. It's not about you doing things perfectly Okay. It's not about you doing things perfectly Okay, and we're going to go in depth about that, because, if you heard me talk about this before, I am very imperfect and I am actively working on just like get it done, as opposed to getting it done perfectly, because that's another thing that we need to be on the lookout for that procrastinating tendency to not let go of any projects until it's perfect. But nevertheless, we're not talking about having our habits being done by us perfectly. We are about finding small, doable ways to stay consistent so that way we can maintain that momentum alive and reinforce that discipline muscle. And, trust me, showing up for yourself, no matter how small, can make all the difference. Okay, so this is why it matters, because you're showing up for yourself and you're showing yourself that you are important, and doing so keeps the momentum alive in your habits and reinforces your discipline muscle. So you may be asking okay, so how do I know what habits I need to have a backup plan for. So the first step is figuring out which habits matter most to you. These are the habits that make you feel grounded and aligned with your goals.

Speaker 1: 6:53

For me, my high value habits, my non-negotiables, are going to the gym, going and hydrating that is a must and reading or learning something new. I cannot let go of those three things because when I do, it makes me unbalanced. I figured this out through journaling. So really, I mean now thinking about it. I think journaling should be in here too. Really, I mean now thinking about it. I think journaling should be in here too. That's my high value habit, but it seems like I do it without even being prompted because I have so many things going on in my mind almost every day. So I feel like I need to journal, but nevertheless I digress. Okay, let's discuss these three that I identified. So the way that I knew that these were the three for me was through journaling.

Speaker 1: 7:46

As I often do, and other people do as well, you go through these highs and lows in your life. So during one of these lows, where a lot of things were happening and I was very, very busy and I found it like I couldn't get to my five habits every morning. Like I couldn't get to my five habits every morning and I started feeling wonky and unbalanced. I started journaling and writing about it and then I also have my habit tracker and what I did was it was like a bit of like quote unquote scientific research here, right, but it was just me going through my journal and checking it out and I noticed that those days where my mood was really bad, it was very reactive or mildly depressive. Those were the days where I did not do these habits, when I didn't go to the gym, when I didn't hydrate, when I didn't pace myself down by reading or listening to something. Those were the days where my mind was just really chaotic and I was not having the best of time.

Speaker 1: 8:59

And that's how I was able to find out that these are the three things, that I must have a backup for them, so that way I can accomplish them either in the morning or throughout the day. It's very important because they make me feel good, they make me feel like myself. So ask yourself, or do the inquisitive thing and journal and then see when you are feeling some sort of way what was it that you did that morning or didn't do that morning, or in the evening, and ask yourself what happened today, how did I feel? And then look at your habit tracker or your journal, wherever it is that you write the habits that you accomplish that day and then see which habits are missing from there, and that will give you insight as to which of those habits are your core habits, because that's how I was able to find out that you know what? It's not good for me to skip the gym, it's not good for me to skip my hydration habit and it's not good for me to skip reading and winding down with that activity. That's how I was able to find that. So you can do that. That's a way that you can find out what habits are your non-negotiables.

Speaker 1: 12:45

And once you do that, then is when you can look ahead to anticipate chaos or moments in your life where it's going to get really hectic and plan alternatives. Because, let's face it, life is going to throw curveballs at you and you may not know exactly when. Like I knew that I had to move from Kentucky to San Antonio, so I knew that that timeframe is going to be one of upheavals in my life. But things happen unexpectedly and that is okay. You can still plan alternatives for when life gets hectic, even if you don't know exactly how hectic your life may get. But it's good to have those alternatives written down in the back burner, as I say, so that way you can pull them out. That can be your break glass procedure for when life gets lifey. So think ahead about how you can adapt your habit when plan A is impossible.

Speaker 1: 13:52

When plan A is impossible, I will give you my examples of what I do. I know that the move here from Kentucky to San Antonio will start to be hectic. I know that I'll be spending a lot of time living out of suitcases, as some may say, and that my regular gym routine may not be something that I can do, will not be feasible, during this transition time. So some of the things that I did to prepare myself was that, first, to make sure that I pack gym clothes and my gym shoes so that way I have them ready. That's not a hindrance to that habit. That's one. Two, when I checked in into the hotels that I was staying, one of the first things that I did and it was always feasible because it's on the first floor was peep at the gym to see what machines they had in there. So that way then when I go back to my room, I can envision what I could do the next morning. Then, after that, what I did was backwards planned. So usually before the end of that day, when we checked in, my husband and I would discuss the next day when we will get out of the hotel, when we will check out, when we plan on being on the road and for how long we will be on the road, and then I would just backwards plan my gym time from there, and I allotted myself one hour of gym time, even though my alternative workouts were usually below that timeframe, but still I gave myself that time. So that way I can be comfortable getting up, I can go downstairs and do my routine and I can come up and then grab my husband, so that way we can get coffee. You see, so that's how I plan my backup. My backup plan for the gym habit was by ensuring that clothes were readily available for me even as I am traveling. And then, two, by spotting the gym and then, from there, tailoring my workout plan from there. And in some hotels all that it was was me walking on the treadmill for three miles with an incline Sometimes. That's all that they had available and that's what I did, but I got my gym habit in. It didn't look perfect, it didn't look like what I usually do, but I got it in.

Speaker 1: 16:34

For my reading habit, something that I do is that if I cannot sit for 10 minutes to read, I listen to an audio book or I listen to a podcast and I use my lunch breaks if I cannot do it in the morning and if I cannot do it in the morning, I cannot do it during lunch then I set time aside before going to bed to get that done. So that's how I get after my reading habit. If I can't physically read a book, I'm going to listen to something, and that's usually very doable, no matter where I am something, and that's usually very doable no matter where I am. And if I can't listen because I don't have my headphones this is something that has happened and I don't want people to listen to what I'm listening. I have Kindle on my phone, I have the e-reader. I also have NetGalley books in my phone as well that I just pop up from the app and then I can read it from there, from the screen. Not my preferred way of reading because the phone screen is tiny. But it is a way. I did that last night when I couldn't find my headphones, you know, and I couldn't find my e-readerer either. So I was like, well, I'm reading it for my own, and that's what I did.

Speaker 1: 18:01

The water thing this is something let me tell you all about the water thing. I have a little baby bladder, if you know me, you know, and when you are in the road, that is, yeah, disaster, Because I don't want to be stopping every single 30 minutes so that way I can look for a bathroom. And there are some roads out there, from Kentucky to San Antonio, that were just deserted. It was nothing there no gas station, no rest stops, no, nothing. We're miles and miles on end people.

Speaker 1: 18:44

So what I did and this comes from a lot of trial and error, from a lot of experience traveling is that as soon as I get up because, remember, I'm already backwards planning and know that if we're getting out at eight in the morning, I'm going to backwards plan and get up like three hours before and what do I do in those instances is that I drink water right away, like right away. I don't wait at all, I brush my teeth and drink water so that way it can start flowing through my system, and then as I go to the gym, you know, right afterwards I can pee, and then right afterwards with a little bit of coffee, then I go to the bathroom some more. The one thing that I do tailor when I'm on the road like this is my coffee consumption, because that makes things worse. So I try to at least get two cups in. At the most I can get four cups in if I'm really good when I'm traveling like this, but at least two cups, in least two cups in, because I know for a fact that if I wake up enough right when I plan it, then I'm able to utilize the bathroom and I should be good until our next plan. Rest, stop, and then I just chug my water bottle slowly throughout the trip.

Speaker 1: 20:13

Because this has been disastrous right. This trial and error when it comes to my digression habit has been, yeah, horrible, because I have gone through both ends of the spectrum where I just went all in and then had to stop. That's why I know that that's what would happen. I had to stop like almost every 30 minutes and it just took forever to get where I was going to the other end of that spectrum, where I didn't drink at all and I was in pain. My heart was banging, my entire body was just in pain. I felt like I was with the flu. With the flu it's a really bad feeling to have because I was trying not to drink at all. So that way I wouldn't stop. So I know from that experience that I need to be somewhere in the middle.

Speaker 1: 21:10

Like I said, that's between two to four cups. Four if I know that I have ample time to go to the bathroom before hitting the road. If I'm cutting it short, two, you see. So that's how I figure how to tailor my hydration habit. And then usually when I get to the hotel, to the other end, then I'll start, you know, drinking and then catching up so that way I can get to my eight cups. And to be honest with you, I did really well on my hydration habits. So I guess my discipline muscle when it comes to this habit has really worked itself out very well, because I did really good. When I look back at my habit tracker during this time frame, I only missed the hydration. I want to say like two times I don't have it with me. It's somewhere upstairs in my backpack. But two times I missed my hydration habit during this timeframe.

Speaker 1: 22:11

The gym habit that was very easy to find an alternative. I mean, like I said, it didn't look like what I usually do, which is weightlifting with a little bit of cardio Sometimes it was more cardio than anything else but I hit my gym habit. If anything. It is now that I'm in this new house and I need to go look for a gym that I have not done the alternative gym habit and instead I've been just lifting boxes up and down and stuff like that, which really, if you look at it, can be an alternative, because I have been working out when it comes to moving, lifting cleaning counts as well, you know, and things of that nature. But I still have to go look for a gym and my time is ticking because if I go past three days I just know it's going to take more of an effort to start it back up. So for sure tomorrow will be the day that I go and execute my gym habit, so that way I won't have to put too much of an effort to kickstart it up again.

Speaker 1: 23:17

When it comes to the reading habit, that for sure, was easily achievable, one of my easiest things to achieve, just because of the blessing that audiobooks are. I can easily tap into an audiobook and, for sure, if anything, while driving, I got so much reading done. I just play audiobooks back to back to back. I think I played two non-fictions and one fiction. I enjoyed it. I need to give you all a review afterwards. All right, so that's how I became flexible like Gumby when it comes to my high value, or non-negotiable habits.

Speaker 1: 24:02

Now, another thing that I would say I learned, and something you've heard me already saying, is to embrace good enough over perfection. You heard me. Even when it comes to the gym, I'm like does lifting boxes really count? Up and down the stairs, you know? And that is kind of like the perfectionist in me going back and forth and trying to find a way to how do you say, not make it okay to have an alternative when it comes to the gym, unless it's the gym, you see. So even when it comes to that gym, unless it's the gym, you see. So even when it comes to that, I am still learning. So learn with me here, vasitos, because this one is big Backup habits. Teach us that good enough is still progress.

Speaker 1: 25:00

It's not about doing the habit perfectly every day. It's not about doing the habit perfectly every day or how you envision it as perfect every day, but it's about showing up consistently in whatever way you can. And for me, now that I am acknowledging this with you, all it can be, is my habit the gym habit, or is my habit moving my body habit, moving my body in a way that helps my blood flow and helps me gain muscle habit, and I think it's that. I think my habit is more about moving physically so that way my blood can start pumping, my cardio and muscular strength can get better or at least stay consistent, as opposed to going down. That is the habit. But I think, because I have done that habit, executed that habit in the gym, that I now envision that habit as always being done in the gym, when it can be done in many different environments, as long as it achieves that goal, which is getting some cardio in or muscular strength in there.

Speaker 1: 26:29

You see, I'm telling you that's why I love this podcast. I'm here learning with you all as well. Okay, so it is still a win. You know, it is still a win and that's what we gotta embrace. I'm going to write that in my journal. I'm going to write it in my journal. It's still a win.

Speaker 1: 26:51

So if you can only hydrate with one bottle instead of the usual three, that's progress. You did something, you see, so, don't. You did something, you see, so don't like demean yourself into. Well, I didn't do three, it had to be three. No, if you can only get to one that day, that is amazing. You showed up. You showed up in a way that you could show up for yourself that day and you didn't, because the alternative would have been to not showing up for yourself. So that's progress. Every small action adds up and it keeps your brain in the habit of showing up, which I think is like the ultimate, ultimate focus. And finally I already said it, I'm going to write this in my journal Take the time to reflect.

Speaker 1: 27:52

If a backup habit isn't working, tweak it Maybe. Parking far away isn't doable in bad weather. We actually have snow on the ground here in San Antonio, so try a five-minute walk around the office instead. Backup habits as well, just like your non-negotiable habits. Backup habits aren't set in stone. They are tools you can refine over time.

Speaker 1: 28:24

Backup habits are flexible habits. They are mendable and I will say as long as you know what is the goal of that habit, you can adjust it to whatever environment you may be in, whatever ailment you're going through at the moment, or any hindrances that you may be going through at the moment, or any abilities that you have. As long as you know the habit that you're trying to achieve just like you saw me do it with the gym habit that is actually just a moving habit. You can flex it to whatever it is that you can do in that moment. That is the tool that you have at your disposal to refine that habit for that instance, for that moment, or over time. So it can benefit you Because, at the end of the day, it's about you. It's about you showing up for yourself.

Speaker 1: 29:28

So the lesson here for all of us is backup habits. They remind you that you're capable of staying consistent even when life gets chaotic. Each time you follow through, you prove to yourself that you didn't quit, that you instead chose to adapt, and that's how discipline grows. So remember I'm going to write this in my journal too. It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to get done, and it looked really ugly, like I was telling my husband that too long ago. It got done. It got done. Who cares how ugly it was, you know as we was doing it. It got done. So here's your challenge Get your notebook or your phone and I want you to pick one high value or non-negotiable habit and brainstorm a backup plan for when life gets hectic.

Speaker 1: 30:35

Share it with me. I'd love to hear what you come up with. And, hey, if you've got your own creative backup habits, let me know as well. Dm me, put it in the comments and I may feature that in a future episode. Until next time, vacitos, stay consistent, stay adaptable. See you next Wednesday. Bye. Thank you so much for listening. I want to hear from you. Leave me a comment, do a rating, if you can, on the podcast, share it with somebody you love, but, most importantly, come back. See you next time. Bye.