Habit Forming

I have been working out in the afternoons 3 times a week. It takes up my entire evening leaving me little time for anything else. So, yesterday and today I worked out at the Y before heading to work. This is not easy for me - I like to sleep. So, how long does it take to form a habit? Max says it takes about a month, and everything I have read on this subject agrees with him. Therefore...

I am committing to getting up (freakishly early) every weekday morning and heading to the Y before work for four weeks. That means I get up at 4:50/5:00 AM in the morning. I will also be commiting to Pilates on Monday nights with my mom as teacher! Ugh, last night almost killed me - I am not even sore, just stiff!

The other habit we are forming is having a healthy budget. Up till now Max has handled every aspect of our finances. He has done very well paying off all our debt and putting money in savings, but now we are trying to keep track of it all a little more. So we have instituted a cash rule in our home which we started on Monday. For a while we will be a part of the envelope system crowd. Judging by how Max reacted when I came home with all the groceries for the next two weeks - he had no idea how far money could be stretched (especially when it came to his meat and protein). Our grocery bill will be the hardest. Max competes in strong man and is training for a body building contest in April and therefore needs certain kinds of foods to always be available to him.

So, please pray with me as we whip our family and our bodies into shape.