HOW HABIT TRACKING AND DAILY RESOLUTIONS COULD TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE
Yearly resolutions are so last year … if they’re your only resolutions, that is.
Change Everything,” notes that tiny habits can make a new habit easy to implement into your daily ritual. For example, taking a short daily walk could lead to an exercise habit, or keeping an apple in your bag every day could encourage healthier snacking. It’s important that you stick with it because habits take a long time to create. One study published by the European Journal of Social Psychology asked people about a simple habit they wanted to form, like drinking water at lunch or taking a walk before dinner. They found that the average amount of time it took before the action became automatic was 66 days! Don’t be too hard on yourself if you miss a day, but know that sticking to a new habit is serious work, so starting small might help you out.
Another important aspect of forming new daily habits is rewarding yourself. Bad habits, like smoking, have an inherent reward. However, healthy habits can have rewards too! Try consuming a bit of dark chocolate after a workout or treating yourself to a fresh beverage or relaxing to a podcast after tackling an important task. Find ways to reward yourself, and you’ll be more likely to stick to your new habit. Certain daily resolutions don’t have to be related to exercise or diet to majorly improve your life. For example, having a gratitude journal might boost your long-term happiness by 10% and improve your blood pressure. Don’t hesitate to improve your quality of life! Just start small, and you’ll be amazed by how far you’ll go.
Having long-term goals isn’t a bad thing, but do you have a daily plan to reach them? The huge boost of motivation in January isn’t always enough to sustain you all year long. That’s why there are major benefits to starting new healthy habits, whether you increase your weekly exercise time, eat healthier foods, or work on getting better or more sleep. Luckily, sticking with these habits might be as easy as making daily resolutions to complement your yearly goals.
B.J. Fogg, a Stanford University professor and author of “Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That
Shawn Murnahan, our client and friend, got hurt nearly 20 years ago at age 26. He was working at KTH Parts Industry in Saint Paris, putting parts in a basket, when he herniated two discs in his back. Over the years, he’d have surgeries and go back to work, followed by more extensive surgeries and another return to work. Meanwhile, he’d actively get treatment when we could get it approved, but the treatment was so delayed by litigation that it probably never worked as well as it could have had he been able to get it when his doctors requested it. We’ve attended more hearings together
daughters since his injury. They’d bring the girls to hearings as infants, and I’ve watched them grow into lovely young women since this all started.
we found ourselves pursuing the matter into Common Pleas Court. Ultimately, we suggested mediation and resolved the issues to Shawn’s satisfaction. Still, some situations just gnaw at me and his is one. Things just didn’t work out as they should have in my vision of a perfect world!
After his most recent operation in early 2018, performed by the head of surgery at Riverside in
Columbus, Shawn was actively participating in physical therapy when his disc herniation recurred. This is not uncommon and sometimes happens months or years after surgery. Ohio courts have recognized that subsequent herniations or meniscal tears, etc., stemming from the previously weakened back or knee, can be part of the original injury, even if
Shawn and Brandi stopped by the office recently. Shawn and Wilma (and Brandi) have teased each other a lot over the years, and one topic has been Shawn’s ever- lengthening beard. Wilma has told him for months she was gonna get him a razor and shave that thing off! When he and Brandi came in, Wilma
Wilma presenting Shawn with his razor!
the subsequent event doesn’t happen at work. His employer fought the recurrence and the depression that frequently accompanies a debilitating injury.
presented him with a razor (supplied by our own Todd). Shawn laughed and said, “I think I need a weed whacker!” Indeed, he would! We are grateful for the Murnahans. Having been through so much together in 20 years, they are more than clients to us. Shawn says when the weather warms up and he feels better, he wants to go with me to hearings and carry my files. I told him I could tell the hearing officers, “This man is exhibit A!” Ha! Shawn has remained upbeat and grateful despite his injuries and the frustration of dealing with employers’ attorneys and hearings. Our lives are better for knowing them.
than either of us can remember, as certain employers spend much more on fighting their employees and paying
Shawn’s situation is one of those proving that even the best supported case, legally and factually, may fall on deaf ears at the Industrial Commission. There are factors that make this more likely, but the bottom line is that life happens. After a half-dozen hearings and all sorts of procedural snafus during the hearing process,
their lawyers than agreeing to permit
treatment that would help him, and them, by keeping him working.
Shawn and Brandi Murnahan and our ownWilma Sams!
Shawn and his wife, Brandi, had their two
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Client photo
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