On the 6/20 episode, I spoke with Kristy Olinger, co-host of The Opposite of Small Talk podcast, about her pivotal moment. Kristy shared how reading a book about managing stress and anxiety led her to make a small habit change that greatly impacted her life.
Kristy had been living what I like to call a "checklist life": going through the expected motions of getting an education, starting a career, getting married, and having kids. She was happy, but something was bubbling under the surface. As she approached midlife, she wondered if there was more to life than just following the expected path.
It was around this time that Kristy read a book written by her brother. The book offered a set of protocols for managing stress and anxiety, and Kristy decided to try them out for herself. One of the protocols was to establish a consistent bedtime, which prompted Kristy to make a small habit change: waking up early to have some alone time before the chaos of the day began.
This simple change had a profound impact on Kristy's life. By taking time for herself in the morning, she could reflect on who she was, what she wanted, and whether she was truly happy with the life she was living. And through this reflection, she realized that she had been living on autopilot, following the expected path without really questioning whether it was what she truly wanted.
As Kristy put it, "Understanding how habits are made and broken and being intentional about choosing your habits is such an amazing skill to learn because so much of what we do is just driven by our routines and not necessarily chosen routines."
So often, we go through life on autopilot, following the expected path without really questioning whether it's what we truly want. But by taking the time to reflect on making intentional choices about our habits and routines, we can create the life we want for ourselves.
Kristy's life shift moment reminds us that sometimes, the smallest of habit changes can have the biggest impact on our lives. It's never too late to take control of our lives and make intentional choices about how we want to live.
So, let's take a cue from Kristy and make the time to reflect on our own lives, question whether we're truly happy with the path we're on, and make intentional choices about the habits and routines that shape our daily lives. Who knows? A small habit change could be the start of your own life shift moment.
