Build it to last: One Habit at a Time

The long term game has no quick fix. Much as we want convenience because we feel we don’t have enough time. There is always enough.

It really depends on your perception of time, doesn’t it?

Some weeks just feel like relentless demands and endless distractions, even with the best laid plans & intention, it’s easy to feel like there’s never enough time. But if you consider the quality of your life, your relationships, your business, and even your longevity - that is all being shaped by the small, often unconscious choices we make every single day.

Your habits aren’t just routines. They are the architecture of your future self.

Why Habits Matter

Science and Spirit are merging nicely aren’t they?! #

Which has been amazing for the doubters and my logical friends. The growing body of scientific research gives our system the verification we were seeking, that this stuff actually works. It confirms what many of us feel (or rather ‘know’) intuitively: our habits directly impact our cognitive performance, emotional regulation, physical vitality, and even our sense of identity.

When Neuroscience got trendy, a shift happened and people started to understand that habits are hardwired into the brain through the basal ganglia, which helps automate behaviours for efficiency, you know that thing that AI is creeping in to help us with now (look up Huberman or Ann Graybiel). This is a topic in itself, as these functions and faculties are essential for our growth and evolution. Once a habit loop is formed, it takes less mental energy to maintain, making it either a powerful ally or a silent saboteur.

Behavioural psychology is one of my favourite rabbit holes. Recent research highlights how small, consistent changes outperform sudden, radical overhauls every time (check out Fogg Behaviour Change Model). 

‘They’ say consistency is key, but it really does create compounding and lasting results.

Entrepreneurs, creatives, and purpose driven achievers often put their own wellbeing last, chasing goals at the cost of rest, connection, or reflection. It can sometimes feel like a ‘waste of time’ even - to take time out for a walk, dance or rest.

That stuff is not productive - is it?!

Well that’s the stuff I love to encourage. 

What if developing a healthy, aligned lifestyle wasn’t a distraction from success, but the foundation of it?

Choose Future You, Today

Take a moment to imagine your future self. Your whole lifestyle.

• Who are they?

• How do they feel in their body, mind, and spirit?

• How do they move?

• What kind of life are they living and who is around them?

• How do they impact the world?

Now check in with yourself:

Do my current habits align with that vision?

Or are they keeping me stuck in an old identity I’ve outgrown?

How can I bring the behaviours, thoughts feelings, actions of the future me into today?

This isn't about perfection or pressure to perform - we have moved through that phase. It's about exercising the muscle that we often forget - full presence.

Witnessing your current habits without judgment is the first powerful step in reclaiming your time and energy - and finding enough time. 

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”– James Clear, Atomic Habits

Lifestyle Is Strategy

This is where I call it strategic time. As a mindset coach working with some brilliant visionary humans, I often see the same bypass patterns (and I understand them because they are mine too): 

• burnout masked as ambition, 

• loneliness disguised as independence, 

• disconnection dressed as discipline.

But building a sustainable business or career requires more than systems, productivity hacks and logic. It requires full holistic inner alignment.

• Well-being directly correlates with performance: Leaders who prioritise sleep, movement, and mindful routines demonstrate higher emotional intelligence, decision making accuracy, and resilience under pressure (this was actually in a Harvard Business Review back in 2016 and we see it in our top leaders more & more).

• Connection boosts creativity and collaboration: Our relationships - personal and professional - flourish most when we show up grounded, clear, and well-resourced. When we can be fully present with each other, and realise that these ‘soft’ skills, are the very human faculties that we are craving in society. Yes, we love talking to ChatGPT but what we really need is deeper authentic connection.

• Longevity is rooted in lifestyle: Maybe you saw the Blue Zones netflix series, where research shows that those who live the longest prioritise movement, purpose, social support, and stress management and not just diet or genetics. Those who are gardening, walking around mountains or beaches, getting outside and socialising are living past 100 years, as we are designed to.

A powerful prompt to journal or contemplate to make some small shifts in a positive direction towards this longevity, peace and happiness is:

“If I had no one to impress and nothing to prove… what would my ideal day look like?”

Then:

What part of that could I begin today?

Even if it’s just 10 minutes.

Micro Shifts = Massive Change

Here are a few ways to begin re-aligning with your future self:

🌞 Start your morning with intention. Start your day checking in with You. Even 10 minutes of breath, movement, gratitude, or mindful silence can redirect your entire day (download my ‘Flow into Focus’ ebook for a bunch of morning practice tips and benefits).

🌞 Notice your autopilot. Pay attention to the habits you perform without thinking: screen time, self talk, snacks, conversations. Do they energise you or deplete you?

🌞 Celebrate what’s already working. We grow faster when we feel safe. Acknowledge the habits you’ve already cultivated, however small, and anchor in that momentum and confidence - repeat.

🌞 Ask deeper questions. Instead of “What should I be doing?” try

“What would support the version of me I’m becoming?”

‘’Does this align with my long term vision?’’

You are not Perfect. It's not Perfect. 

Perfection is a killer and breeds procrastination. 

Too many high achievers and brilliant brains are ‘waiting’ for it to be right.. Just the right time, right place, right polish. But we all know there will be a rolling criteria that keeps us in the procrastination and distraction loop. 

Real growth is always changing and adapting, it’s evolution - that’s our purpose. Growth is also quiet, it’s nature’s pace. It happens in the tiny, almost invisible choices we make each day.

The decision to go for a walk instead of scrolling.

To journal for five minutes instead of rushing into work.

To be fully present and smell and taste that coffee. 

To reach out to someone who uplifts you instead of isolating.

These small decisions shape the lifestyle you want, and sets your nervous system and mindset to a higher level of mind that believes, and knows your future is bright. You know it. Because you feel great, and it’s getting better every day. 

Your future isn’t some distant destination. It’s being built - right now - in the way you live, breathe, rest, and rise. It’s being fully responsible and accountable for your time an energy.

That’s where coaches and mentors come in and raise the bar.

So go for it, and also - be gentle. Be curious. Celebrate Yourself. And above all - keep showing up.

If you’re ready to go deeper…Flow into Focus is my 90 day experience to refine and align your mindset, daily rhythm, and vision - one intentional step at a time.

👉 Learn more at clarebelmont.net

References

• Graybiel, A. M. (2008). Habits, rituals, and the evaluative brain. Annual Review of Neuroscience.

• Fogg, B. J. (2019). Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything.

• Buettner, D. (2008). The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest.

• Fredrickson, B. L. (2013). Love 2.0: Creating Happiness and Health in Moments of Connection.

• Harvard Business Review (2016). Resilience Is About How You Recharge, Not How You Endure.