Adopting Healthy Habits for 2021: An Interview with Doug Platts
August, a month brimming with change and anticipation, marks a potential pause before the next chapter. As we transition into this period, Doug Platts, the COO of Gardenuity, offers insightful advice on making healthy habits and breaking bad ones.
Platts advocates for small, sustainable changes, emphasizing that incremental steps are key to building momentum and making new habits more manageable. He encourages consistency over perfection, suggesting that we should prioritize regularity in the habit-building process instead of getting discouraged by occasional slip-ups.
Platts also highlights the importance of environment design. By modifying our surroundings to make the healthy choice the easy choice, we can set ourselves up for success. For example, keeping healthy snacks visible or removing temptations can help us make healthier choices without relying too heavily on willpower.
Accountability and support play a crucial role in habit formation, according to Platts. He suggests involving others or using tools that encourage persistence and motivation. Recognizing and rewarding progress, no matter how minor, is another strategy he promotes to reinforce positive behaviour.
Gardening, Platts believes, is an excellent way to test ourselves in developing new habits and routines. It provides immediate satisfaction and a visual way to experience progress and success. Starting a container garden, for instance, is a simple yet effective way to kickstart a new routine.
Donna Letier, the CEO of Gardenuity, views August as a time of both beginning and end. She emphasizes the importance of setting a mindset for goal achievement, understanding that progress may take longer than expected and celebrating incremental wins along the way.
The year 2020 demonstrated the significance of having a strong foundation of habits and routines. Mindful goals, which should be measurable, strategic, attainable, realistic, and time-bound, can be set at any time, not just at the start of a new year. Breaking a large goal into smaller steps can help us experience those smaller wins along the way.
Gardening, in particular, can be a great way to practice healthy habits during quarantine. It offers a therapeutic outlet for stress relief, promotes physical activity, and provides a sense of accomplishment.
In conclusion, as we navigate through August and prepare for the upcoming months, let's embrace change and focus on making small, sustainable changes for a healthier and happier life. Whether it's starting a container garden or setting mindful goals, remember that progress, no matter how small, is worth celebrating.
- Doug Platts, the COO of Gardenuity, suggests that building healthy habits involves small, sustainable changes, rather than striving for perfection.
- Platts advises prioritizing regularity in the habit-building process, rather than getting discouraged by occasional slip-ups.
- Platts emphasizes the importance of environment design in making healthy choices, such as keeping healthy snacks visible or removing temptations.
- Accountability and support are crucial for habit formation, suggests Platts, who recommends involving others or using tools that encourage persistence and motivation.
- Platts believes that gardening, such as starting a container garden, can be an excellent way to test ourselves in developing new habits and routines.
- Donna Letier, the CEO of Gardenuity, encourages setting a mindset for goal achievement, recognizing that progress may take longer than expected and celebrating incremental wins along the way.
- Mindful goals, which should be measurable, strategic, attainable, realistic, and time-bound, can be set at any time of the year, not just at the start, and breaking a large goal into smaller steps can help experience those smaller wins.
