One of the things that gets me up every morning is my fascination with our disconnect.
Every single one of us struggles with some form of disconnect.
We want things, and we know what we need to do to achieve those things… yet we don’t take the appropriate actions consistently to see the results we want to see.
Why is that? Fascinating, right?!
We know we should think better. Yet we don’t.
We know we should eat better. Yet we don’t.
We know we should move better. Yet we don’t.
We know we should sleep better. Yet we don’t.
We know we should use time better. Yet we don’t.
The Life Delicious curriculum is designed to combat this exact problem – to systematically build a bridge that overcomes your disconnect.
The curriculum facilitates the hardwiring of specific habits, so you can struggle less and achieve more.
These transformative habits cover 5 different pillars:
Mindset
Movement
Nutrition
Sleep
Connection
Through strategic repetition, students learn concepts on a very deep level that's able to transcend their normal resistance to change.
When we can learn to recognize how resistance feels in our body and in our mind, we can identify that feeling and choose to move through it, rather than shrink away from it and stay stuck in our unhelpful patterns.
Human nature is to move toward pleasure and away from pain.
Thinking better, eating better, moving better, sleeping better, and using time better can feel painful because changing our behaviour is uncomfortable.
If we’re not mindful of how we’re feeling, we can unconsciously label all feelings of discomfort as pain, and fail to grow by failing to take action.
Often, what lies on the other side of discomfort (getting out of bed to exercise, choosing our words more carefully, making a healthier nutrition decision) is great pleasure (feeling fantastic in our body, acting with compassion, having wellsprings of energy).
If we can learn to question discomfort, get curious about it, and recognize when it’s in our best interest to push through it, we can grow, expand, transform, and achieve our dreams!
Transformative habits aren't tricky or grand. Their power lies in small changes consistently practiced over time, with strategic repetition.
Step 1: Learn
The Life Delicious curriculum offers in-depth modules on mindset, movement, nutrition, sleep, and connection.
Students learn tools to balance their brain's negativity bias with a more positive outlook, to practice a growth mindset instead seeing life through the lens of guilt, and to monitor their mindset toward stress and its impact on their cognitive function, immunity, digestion, reproductive health and sex drive, and metabolism. The importance of balancing both exercise and physical activity are also explored, as are menu planning, mindful eating, sleep hygiene, brain hygiene, productivity and connection.
>>> Make a habit of learning new information, but be mindful that it’s only the first step of transformation.
Step 2: Think
One drawback to self-study is not giving yourself enough time to process the information you've learned.
Have you ever read a book or article and thought, “that's amazing, I should do that!”... and then never actually done it?
In a retreat setting, time is specifically set aside to give students space to process what they've learned and practically apply those tools to their own lives.
>>> Make a habit of giving yourself time to think about new information to help you absorb it. Create space to think – even 1 minute counts.
Step 3: Write
A powerful follow-up to thinking is writing.
When you're tasked with thinking and then translating thoughts into words on the page, you process information on a deeper level.
Every participant at The Life Delicious retreats receives a comprehensive workbook and journal to write in, to facilitate a process called self-directed neuroplasticity, which is the mindful sculpting of new brain connections – i.e. the hardwiring of transformative habits.
Begin your own Mood, Food & Fitness Journal! Check out 5 Tips For A Powerful Journaling Practice to get started.
>>> Make a habit of writing down how your thoughts, words and actions make you feel, and give yourself space to process new information through the written word.
Step 4: Speak
Group discussion is an integral part of The Life Delicious retreats.
Participants take in new information, think about how it applies to their own life, write down their thoughts, and then share those thoughts with others, which not only facilitates even deeper learning, it gives everyone insight into new and novel ways to practice the material covered.
Everyone’s personal experience is unique, and everyone can learn from each other.
This multi-level processing helps ingrain the exact tools each participant needs in their life at present.
>>> Make a habit of sharing new information with a friend, family member or colleague. By explaining your unique insight, you’ll not only solidify it in your own mind, you’ll inspire others to get curious about habit formation too.
Step 5: Reread
The last few hours of each retreat are dedicated to integration.
Participants are given the chance to sort through everything they've learned over the weekend, highlight what resonated most, circle trends, and create a personalized action plan of transformative habits.
>>> Make a habit of rereading your journal at least once a month to remind yourself of your intentions, to notice trends, and to keep yourself accountable to your dreams.
Step 6: Share
Once you’re witnessed, intentions are set in motion!
By sharing their action plan, participants create an energy of intention, accountability and community to practice the habits they've determined will best serve their lives.
>>> Make a habit of stating your intentions publicly – whether it’s to a friend, family member or colleague, on social media, or your blog.
Step 7: Practice
Practice, practice, practice!
Change comes through action – you’ve got to do the work to see results!
Display your action plan somewhere visible so you’ll be reminded to practice your transformative habits most days.
>>> Tack an index card to your corkboard, place a sticky note on your bathroom mirror, write your habits down in beautiful script and frame them, jot them on a blank business card laminated with packing tape and put it in your pocket. Get creative with your visual reminders!
Step 8: Reassess
Private post-retreat sessions give participants accountability to help hardwire their new habits, and allow them to reassess their needs and wants.
>>> Make a habit of reassessing your habits two to six times a year. Are they still serving you? Are they practical to your lifestyle? How can you upgrade them to better serve your life?
These 8 strategic steps incorporated into The Life Delicious retreats are what make them such powerfully transformative weekends, truly giving participants the tools, tenacity and drive to take action in creating the lives they desire.
Don’t forget:
Learn
Think
Write
Speak
Reread
Share
Practice
Reassess