Are you already using repetitions for your training and development?

My family and I recently enrolled our two small dogs into an Obedience Class for the first time in our lives. While some may ask, “isn’t it too late for your dogs now?” — which, in all honesty, is a valid question — my response, as always, “it’s never too late.” And definitely, it is never too late to learn.

After all, our older dog, Sketch, is now 9 years old; and Ona, our younger dog, is turning 3 next month. Compared to the other dogs in their class, they are considered old. In fact, their classmates are all puppies, mostly under the age of one.

To my astonishment, both Sketch and Ona love attending class. It’s only been two lessons; they are already listening. At first, I thought it might take longer than two lessons. During our second class, I had a difficult time getting Sketch to heel and sit. He just wanted to go for the treats in my hand. Sketch has a bad habit of barking at you non-stop until he gets his treats. Of course, I am not quite as adept nor as fast as my 14-year-old son when it comes to getting treats out of the bag. Therefore, when Sketch barks at me, he is complaining that I am too slow!

Our teacher said not to give up. Stay with the repetitions: repeat the same commands over and over; give praises once the commands are carried out; and hand out treats as rewards for working hard.

So, how did I notice the training is working? Well, both dogs wait for their commands before expecting a treat. The test was when I accidentally dropped a few treats onto the floor. This happened right in front of the dogs. Instead of licking off what I dropped on the floor, they kept looking up at me and waiting for me to give commands. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was so proud of them. I truly believe in repetitions. The repetitions help rewire the neurons and build muscles in both the mind and body. My not giving up is what helped these dogs feel accomplished.

Although this story I am sharing today is about our dogs receiving training, what I am really sharing here is, if we want to train ourselves to be better every day, be it personally or professionally, the work is in the repetitions.

Think about this: if we are able to pick up bad habits from repetitions, such as not closing a cupboard door after opening it, not placing garbage in the bin, not making your bed… the list goes on… and you get the gist… then the reverse can be just as effective.

Start making the change in small chunks repetitively. Make your bed (if you don’t normally make your bed) for the first 3 days. If you can handle 3 days then add another 2 days. Slowly, you’ll see that you might begin to feel uncomfortable when you see a messy bed, simply because you got used to seeing your bed made. The same goes for throwing garbage in the bin, if you happen to be someone who has a habit of leaving garbage lying around. Start throwing garbage immediately after you are done with it. Do this for the first 3 times. Be conscious of the garbage you are handling. Soon, you’ll realize you have built up a habit of throwing garbage. Basically, the same goes for anything you want to change… turning a negative habit into a positive one.

This is the question I ask myself as a reminder to help me keep a positive habit: Do you want to be 1% less, or be 1% better today? Naturally, I choose the latter.

And how I learnt to ask such a question is from James Clear’s The Atomic Habits. It is one of my favourite books; and I recommend that you pick up this book today. That is, if you want to “be 1% better everyday,” to rewire the neurons and build strong muscles in the brain and grow both the mind and body simultaneously.

So, what are you willing to choose today – 1% less or 1% better everyday? 😊

Till next time…

Find your flow. Find your freedom.

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If you missed our blogpost from last week on finding flow, be sure to click on the title to check out “Why does no one care to ask?”

I also help my clients discover joy and find flow. If you feel there is anything that is holding you back in finding flow in your daily life — whether that may be leading and motivating your team at work, or taking your business to the next level, or it may be finding it challenging to go out and socialize — as your coach, I can provide a process that will connect you with your strengths and your true capacities to move forward.

If there’s something that you’d like to bring into your life, I’d like to help you!

Connect with me via email to book your free consultation today.

~ Audra ~

Works Cited

Clear, James. The Atomic Habits. New York: Avery Publishing, 2018. Print.