How to Create a New Habit
Here at PDS, we take pride in highlighting some of our incredible exhibitors. We know these companies have the potential to revolutionize pharmacies just like yours through their products and services. We’re excited to introduce Optavia. Read on for their sponsored blog post about creating new habits.
Why are your habits important? The answer is self-evident. We are the product of our daily choices that over time, become our habits. The accumulation of our choices and habits determine not only our health trajectory, but the trajectory of our life as well. Never were habits more important than in these turbulent times when we have been challenged to learn new ones that can be life-saving.
We can change if we want to, by learning new choices and habits. The power is in the choices we make: the fully conscious choices that serve our best interest. Importantly, we will only make new choices and create new habits if we want to. We begin by asking ourselves what we want and then making what we want a priority.
This sounds simple enough so let’s use an example of creating a new healthy habit: Taking a walk for 15 minutes a day. To create anything new it is essential to do four things and write them down! This is how you keep yourself accountable.
Steps to Creating a Healthy Habit
First: my Current Reality (CR) which in this case is no daily walks.
Second: my goal or Desired Outcome (DI) is to walk for 15 minutes a day, before work.
Third: the choices I will make, the Action Steps I will take to reach my goal.
Fourth: A timeline. The time I give myself to reach my goal and that can vary of course depending upon the goal. In this case, you may start with walking for 5 minutes. This is what my plan would look like:
Desired Outcome: Walk 15 minutes a day before work
Timeline: 1 week
Action Steps:
Head out the by 6:10 and walk for 15 minutes
Put sweatpants and sweatshirt in bathroom
Put walking shoes by my bed (this is a cue, a reminder)
Set alarm for 6:00 am
Current Reality: I’m not taking walks currently. I usually get up at 6:30 am, get ready and go to work.
This is called a Structural Tension Chart (we’ll explore this more next time!). It can be very helpful to help you prioritize what it is that you want to achieve or create.
When you are clear about your current reality, what you want to create and know the action steps to take to reach your goal, you can. Whether that goal is walking more, losing weight and creating a healthier life and strengthening your immune system or creating more revenue options for your pharmacy that are independent of PBMs and ICD-10 codes, you can reach those goals by creating new habits and using structural tension to help you.
About the Author
Dr. Mark Nelson & Dominic Tarinelli are PDS Partners and share a virtual (no contact) evidence based weight loss and wellness program that creates health for your patients and revenue and profits for your #pharmacy. No PBMs, no billing, no ICD-10 codes, and no inventory. Our program and business are done completely virtually, without in-person patient contact. While at home, patients lose weight, improve their overall health and strengthen their immune system. Our program is evidence-based, and meals and program materials are delivered to your patients’ door. Learn more at pharmacywellbeing.com.
You can also check out the latest podcast featuring Dr. Mark Nelson on Optimal Health Life Transformation.
