Blog: “spot, stop, swap”
What is a change that you would like to make in your life?
Maybe you’d like to snuggle and read stories with your kids instead of passing out in front of Netflix at the end of the day?
Maybe you’d like to stop caring so much about how your home looks when friends come over and instead focus on quality time and meaningful conversations?
Maybe you’d like to carve out more time with your partner instead of feeling like you’re part of a tag-team navigating the week’s fresh chaos?
Where do you even start to make a change?
My coaching teacher, Jay Shetty, likes to use this simple trick to change a habit. He calls it “spot, stop, swap.”
First, you need to spot the cues. Raise your awareness of the habit you would like to change. This can take some time. Maybe you can keep a notebook and write down all of the times you did XYZ. Be kind to yourself. This list might be long!
Next, stop the negative thought process that keeps you stuck in the same looped pattern of behaviour. Often, the things you do are on auto-pilot. At the end of a busy day, your willpower is at its lowest. It’s easy to let old habits take over. Maybe you’re doing some blaming and complaining here. That’s okay. Write it down and really take a look at the stories you’re telling yourself. Ask yourself, “is this the person I want to be?”
Finally, swap the initial reaction with a different routine. Think beforehand what this routine will be. The new routine should be aligned with the change you are trying to make.
We will be using “stop, spot, and swap” over the next few weeks to recognize where we want to start getting unstuck.
With time, it will get easier to make even bigger changes.
Question: What habit do you want to change that will help you move into a more thriving space? Share in the comments below!
