For the longest time in my life, and the life of my family, “Netflix and Chill” wasn’t just a slogan…it was a way of life. I’d come home from work, grab a bag of chips (or a whole pizza, or a footlong sandwich, or a pecan pie, or a…you get the picture) a sugar rich soda, snuggle into my favorite chair, and veg out for hours at a time. Most evenings, I’d get done “Netflix and Chillin'” and then eat dinner. Can you say, “EXCESS CALORIC INTAKE”???
The day I decided that food and bad health habits weren’t going to control my life was the day I also began to learn the importance of habits. Daily habits. Daily healthy habits.
You see, habits are something we’re necessarily born with. In fact, habits are formed from repeated actions. Our habits become common place in our lives (central to our lives) and they drive us to become the people we are today. Unfortunately, for many Americans, the habits we are forming (starting at a very young age) that are becoming our everyday second nature are not good habits!
Research* suggests that roughly 75 percent of teens are getting sufficient daily exercise. A lack of physical education activities and programs in schools AND too much “Screen time” (technology is killing us y’all) are just two reasons. (Excuses really. Poor parenting is the overwhelming culprit!) However you view it…these teens are growing up and turning into lazy, aimless, and unmotivated adults. Like me…or at least…like I was! (note: smartphones weren’t around when I was in school…but once they entered the scene…I was hooked like a crack addict).
Here’s the problem…my problem anyway. I was raised to work. I’m pretty sure my parents had me so that I could feed cows, pigs, horses, AND move freaking irrigation pipe! Oh…and work in the oilfield! In addition, I was an athlete all the way through elementary, middle, and high school. PLUS…I was on every intramural sports team I could get on in College. So what happened? I allowed myself to replace my good healthy habits with bad unhealthy habits. I got married, got a job, and had kids. I honestly thought that was all I had to do. I was done. I’d checked off all the boxes. In my mind…all I had to do was wait to die. That mindset stayed in place for the next 25 years of my life. I was a loser…big time!
Then, in March of 2022, I had a major rude awakening. A flight to and from Las Vegas helped me understand how fat I had truly allowed myself to get…it was sad. You can read about that here.
From that point on, me (and my family) began to research (and experience) a mind shift that encouraged poor patters to newly formed healthy patterns. Let technology was crucial. Over the first few months of our healthy journey, my “screen time” dropped drastically. I also replaced unhealthy snacking with God time. Instead of mindlessly sitting and eating, I started sitting and reading.
Exercise, or course, took the place of watching the boob-tube. In all honesty, We’ve sat and watched TV for a total of 6…maybe 10 hours since May 15th, 2022 (this post was written on February 15, 2023). We do the majority of our grocery shopping at farmers markets instead of the big named grocery stores in an effort to get the freshest, all natural, food possible. AND…if we do go the big box grocery store, we shop along the wall…not in the isles (In other words…we shop for the healthier stuff…not the crap). Cokes and sweet tea have been replaced with unsweet tea, water, and…well…water. #LotsOfWater
Eating out used to be a major part of our “menu planning”. Now, we eat out once (if at all) a month. And alcohol…I have not had a drink in what seems like forever. AND…I don’t miss it at all. Turns out…I’m still funny (#LIfeOfTheParty) even without alcohol!
Bottom Line Y’all…
I tell you all of that to tell you this: IF YOU TRULY WANT TO LIVE A HEALTHIER, MORE PRODUCTIVE AND REWARDING LIFE…YOU HAVE TO REPLACE BAD HABITS WITH GOOD HABITS!
So…the next time you get the urge to “Netflix and Chill”… “Hit Weights and Trails” instead!
Pivot Then Live It 
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