What’s your foundational habit?

Recently, I was unable to workout for a few weeks due to a medical procedure. After a couple days of not moving in the mornings, I noticed that I also was not eating as healthy as I normally do, not sleeping as well, and my usual meditation routine was thrown off. Eventually I started taking a morning walk and the rest of my habits naturally fell into place. 

This experience helped me realize that exercising is my foundational habit. A foundational habit is something that can help set you up for success and more easily implement other good habits. These practices are also something that can bring you “back” if you find yourself going through a rut or have gotten away from the direction you want to go in.

I know that getting some movement (usually first thing in the morning) will immediately shift my energy and mood and generally helps me eat healthier, walk more throughout the day, be more productive, and makes me more likely to meditate and journal.

It takes advantage of something called the domino effect. When you make a change to one behavior, it creates a chain reaction and causes a shift in related behaviors as well. Many of our habits and behaviors are interconnected so changing one aspect of our routine can lead to other changes without much effort (this applies to both good and bad habits).

Some examples of other potential foundational habits are getting enough sleep, meditating, taking a morning walk, drinking lemon water, journaling, practicing gratitude, and making your bed.

Think about your current routine - is there something that you already do that you know impacts the rest of your day? Or is there something you can add that will help you set a good foundation for the day?