System Redundancy

While many people think of redundancies as something that's not useful, just because it's not useful in the moment. Just because it's not currently in use doesn't mean it's not serving a purpose.

The E brake in your car.

Having multiple smoke detectors in your home.

Multiple methods of contact in your resume for potential employers.

Why wouldn't you build reducancies into the health systems you're building?

You wouldn't wait until it's needed to give an emergency contact to the office at your child's school. You wouldn't wait buy a phone charger until after the battery died. Why would you leave loose ends in your health goals.

Arrive. The first week of The Practice You Keep program. Nothing to fix, nothing is broken, it's about bolstering what you already have.

It's bouldering up the systems you have in place so that they become infalliable. Create redundancies before you need them, solve the problems that you already encounter before adding new habits.

I'm a walker. 10K, 15K, we be walking. I have multiple locations that are safe to walk. I have friends I walk with. I have audiobooks to listen to when walking. Walking pad, kindle for the walking pad. A Pilates Anytime subscription to multitask observation hours and walking. 80% of the time, I walk outside. Because I have a dog who needs fresh air and she really isn't phased by much weather honestly. Unless it's driving rain or subzero, were outside. But I have my redundacies built in; for the snow days, for the days it's too dark by the time I have time, for the days when Father Time grabs the clock and won't let go. I can still accomplish my goals.

I'm a Pilates student and a Pilates instructor. Teaching creates a system for me to practice regularly and being a student makes me a better instructor.

When I was struggling to build a consistent Yoga practice post-pandemic, I signed up to trade hours worked at the studio for free classes; I had to be there 3 days a week before and after class. It created a system for me to practice 3 days a week. (Somehow, that was more effective than paying for a membership).

Packing lunch every day for work isn't a system. It's a plan, and frankly, not a great one. You might over sleep, forget to pack lunch, not go grocery shopping regularly, misplace your lunch bag. You might remember to pack it, leave it in your car and it's spoiled by midday. Then what? What's the closest delivery place? What's on their menu? What are three menu options from doordash that fit your budget and your health goals? Is there a close grocery store? What would you buy in a pinch? Do you practice intermittent fasting and can skip the meal? Life doesn't always go as planned. Build the redundancies before you need them.

Whenever we want to build a new habit, or solidify a current one, these are all questions to explore. Each habit we build has nuance and circumstance. Plans are good when the stars all align, systems are good no matter the season.

Building a healthy lifestyle isn't something you do once, or on sunny days or on Tuesdays. It's something you build, daily, consistently and slowly.

Nothing to fix. Nothing is broken.

You don't need a 75 hard. You don't need a new workout routine. Or a new tracking app (Thought you can sign up under my AteMate coaching for real time feedback on meal choices). You just need to build the system to make those tools useful.

February plans:

• Teaching Pilates on Thursdays @ 5PM EST at the Flying Spoon

• Teaching Chair Yoga and Warm Restorative at Restore

• Finishing up my in-person Pilates training

• Start working (again) on my 300 hour YTT

Did you know you can email me at krys.daub@gmail.com if you have health coaching questions?