WILD INTERVIEW: Three WILD Sisters Share Their PHH Journey From ATOMIC HABITS

March 14, 2023

Shalom, Shalom, elegant, beautiful, WILD Ladies! It’s an absolute joy and delight to serve you this wholesome interview session with three of our WILD sisters as they let us in on their thoughts and moments with forming Practically Healthy Habits.

Take a deep breath, exhale, relax, and let’s dive in.

ETHEL: Shalom, sister! Can you please briefly introduce yourself, and tell us how long you have been in The WILD?

AKPEVWE: Shalom, Shalom. My name is Akpevwe Ekakitie. A Computer Scientist by training and now a Program Analyst (in summary, I enable my place of work to maximise ICT in discharging its primary functions). I’m a wife and mum to 2 great amazing sons. Above all, I’m a daughter of God relentlessly chasing after Him. I have been in The WILD for about 3 years now.

ETHEL: Hello Techie, it’s a delight to meet with you. Have you personally started reading the book, “Atomic Habits” by James Clear? If yes, what are your general thoughts about the book?

AKPEVWE: Yes and No. I had previously read the book, so the discussions are more of a refresher for me. Having read the book and listening to the reviews, I now understand why it is always on book lists every year since it was released. The book breaks down the science of habits into an easy-to-understand concept. Also, the Laws outlined by James Clear are so practical and easy to adapt.

ETHEL: Yes, indeed, they are straightforward and on the goal!
Please share with us what lightbulb moment you’ve had since The WILD started discussing Practically Healthy Habits?

AKPEVWE: I loved the reviews by Sister Kemi Oyewo and Sister Vera. Those two reviews were big lightbulbs for me. I still can’t get over the analogy sister Kemi gave about the calendar with the image of a softdrink facing her in the office and how the picture unconsciously makes her want to reach for a bottle of coke. That analogy forced me to look at my habit of mindless, unhealthy eating. In addition, the concept of habit stacking Sister Vera discussed was a practical insight I needed to finetune my exercise and Bible study habits.

ETHEL: Habit Stacking is surely a game changer if applied consistently. Leveraging on building a new habit on a current habit, how ingenious!
What specific habits have you been working on learning or letting go of? Kindly tell us the specific steps you are taking.

AKPEVWE: I am working on letting go of mindless eating and also learning to be consistent in my wake-up time for morning quiet time. For mindless eating, I bought a fanciful water bottle. So, when I want to snack on something unhealthy, I just reach for the water bottle and take a drink of water. This helps with my craving to eat mindlessly.

To help me wake up early, I have to sleep early. I noticed that when I do this, I do not need my phone alarm to wake me up.

ETHEL: I love the commitment and deliberateness of your actions because habits indeed are the compound interest of self improvement. Way to go, Sis!
What would you say has been your greatest challenge to living an ORGANIZED, PROFESSIONAL LIFE with HEALTHY HABITS?

AKPEVWE: I will say my greatest challenge to living an Organised, Professional Life with healthy habits is discipline. I am currently struggling with staying disciplined and committed to my healthy habits. Although concepts from Atomic Habits like Habit Stacking and Making It Obvious have enabled me to carry out some habits more consistently, there is still room for improvement. The improvement I seek can only be possible if I become more disciplined and learn to lean more on the Holy Spirit. I added leaning on the Holy Spirit because, in times when the flesh is weak, only the Holy Spirit can cause you to stay committed to your Healthy Habits.

ETHEL: Helloooo, Holy Spirit! Isn’t he the absolute best person to have in your corner. He’s our ever present and constant help in all things.
In this period of heightened distractions, what have you done to reinforce your healthy habits for others around you, perhaps your extended family or your children?

AKPEVWE: My phone was becoming an annoying distraction. Then, I read a blog post by Captain WILD on Phones(here is the link to the blogpost). Captain mentioned the use of long passwords as a deterrent to mindlessly picking up the phone. I recently adopted this technique. The thought of typing my phone’s password makes me tired, so I just drop the phone. Also, although I don’t have any social media apps on my phone, I will somehow use the web version to log in. To beat this habit, I disabled Chrome on my phone and also installed an app that blocks social media sites.

For my children, cartoons were becoming problematic. It had even begun to affect my eldest son’s concentration. I blocked all cartoon channels on my DSTV decoder. To access the channels, a passcode is needed. The passcode is only used during the weekend.

ETHEL: WILD Mamas, we have a winner here and it’s foolproof. Long Passwords to the rescue and preferably in java code, hehe. Wow, Sis! Practicality to the max; I Loveeee it!
James Clear in this book talked about the first law of “Making it obvious”, what specific strategies have you used to make your habits more obvious? Have they been effective?

AKPEVWE: This is the sweetest part of the book for me, the law of “Making it Obvious”. So, to make my Bible Study more enticing in the morning, I got a bag with lots of colorful buttons. All my bibles and journals are in the bag. I kept the bag in a conspicuous location in my house. It is actually in my dining section. I pass that area every day, so I see the bag, and it always rings Bible study. This habit has helped me become more consistent in my quest to imbibe daily bible study. I’m still on the lookout for a Fuchsia Pink Bible that I can put in my work bag. I want to up my Bible reading game. The color will always draw my eyes to the bible.

ETHEL: Brilliant idea with the colorful bag and to top it with an eye-catching fuschia pink bible – how original!
Now, to our fun, trivia question: what animal can we learn from that makes small, incremental changes to its life over time? And one lesson you would take from it?

AKPEVWE: Let me pick birds. So, I recently discovered some grass and twigs on my balcony. I cleaned, but I noticed them again until my son told me there was a bird’s nest right on top of my inverter. Looking back now, that bird was consistent in gathering the twigs and grass needed to build that nest. The nest was not built overnight. It was a process, and the bird was committed and disciplined in building the nest. Even after I took down the first nest, which contained eggs, I discovered another nest a week later. The commitment and discipline of the birds are lessons I am picking from birds.

ETHEL: What a realistic analogy because the seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. Just as a bird painstaking builds its nest.

What a session! Thank you, Sis Akpevwe, for this delightful session. God bless you!

ETHEL: Shalom, sister! Can you please briefly introduce yourself and tell us how long you have been in The WILD?

VERA: I’m Vera Kenechi Dibie. I am a teacher, writer and editor. I have been in The WILD since 2019.

ETHEL: Welcome, Sis Vera. Thank you for the privilege of your time.
Have you personally started reading the book, “Atomic Habits” by James Clear? If yes, what are your general thoughts about the book?

VERA: Ahhh, Yes! The book is absolutely amazing! I like how it reminds us of the little things, the efforts we often think don’t matter and don’t realize how much difference those efforts would make in our lives.For me, the introspective call to action is what I enjoy most from the book.

ETHEL: Totally and absolutely true! Small but consistent habits will ultimately lead to mindblowing results.
Please share with us the lightbulb moment you’ve had since The WILD started discussing Practically Healthy Habits?

VERA: My lightbulb moment. Hmmm, I will try to limit it to one. I remember how I’ve always been quick to abandon new endeavors because I don’t see any result in the first instance. Now, this book taught me practically how the adage ‘little drops of water make a mighty ocean’ translates in real-time experience. In the past two months, I have been able to implement James Clear’s principles, and I have seen the effect.

ETHEL: Amazing!
What specific habits have you been working on learning or letting go of? Kindly tell us the specific steps you are taking.

VERA: I’m learning about having a staying power in life’s affair, irrespective of how tedious and difficult it may seem. That’s coming from my knowledge on the law of least effort. I’m also learning to let go and be weary of negative suggestions irrespective of how nicely coated it may be.

ETHEL: The most effective form of learning is practice. Well done, Sis, for taking these steps and effecting a change in your life.
What would you say has been your greatest challenge to living an ORGANIZED, PROFESSIONAL LIFE with HEALTHY HABITS?

VERA: My greatest challenge is building my staying power. I’m learning a new normal.

ETHEL: Beautiful! I love the sound of that, a new normal – your very own custom-made blueprint.
In this period of heightened distractions, what have you done to reinforce your healthy habits for others around you, perhaps your extended family or your children?

VERA: I have successfully helped them take note of how much time they spend watching the screen. We are all working hard to set a specific goal and make efforts towards attaining them.

ETHEL: Yay!!! Nothing beats working together as a family unit. The joy and contentment derived from goals that the whole family wins at. Kudos, mama.
James Clear, in his book, talked about the first law of “Making it obvious”, what specific strategies have you used to make your habits more obvious? Have they been effective?

VERA: I have recently taken to creating habit stack for new habits.

ETHEL: The idea of the Habit Stack is phenomenal: After (Current Habit), I will (New Habit). Building off on a strong existing platform.
Now, to our fun, trivia question: what animal can we learn from that makes small, incremental changes in it’s life over time? And one lesson you would take from it?

VERA: Hahaha, the ANTS; I have them all over my house. It has recently occurred to me that the incident is because of the season. It is dry. During the rainy days, they rarely make appearances unless they are provoked (by food particles). They work hard and consistently during the dry season.

ETHEL: Indeed, they do! The ant is small in size, but wise in its ability to optimise its time, skills and resources. We sure can learn a thing or two from ants.

Thank you, Sis Vera, for this insightful interview and for giving us a glimpse into setting habits that last. God bless you!

VICTORIA

ETHEL: Shalom, Sister! Can you please briefly introduce yourself and tell us how long you have been in The WILD?

VICTORIA: My name is Victoria Olamide Olufemi-Isibor, a dentist by profession. I joined The WILD in 2019.

ETHEL: Welcome, Sis Victoria. It’s great to have you here with us today.
Have you personally started reading the book, “Atomic Habits” by James Clear? If yes, what are your general thoughts about the book?

VICTORIA: Yes, I have, although I haven’t finished it yet. It is a really powerful book and it has made me realise that consistency in everything, no matter how little the effort is, it builds habits.

ETHEL: So true! You know what they say, “motivation is what drives you but consistency is what keeps you going”. Keep being consistent, Sis.
Please share with us the lightbulb moment you’ve had since The WILD started discussing Practically Healthy Habits?

VICTORIA: Hmm. My lightbulb moment would be how easy I have learnt how to effectively do a personal bible study and get the most out of the time designated.

ETHEL: Everything is easy when properly scheduled. What a beauty life is when lived slowed down and deliberately, as opposed to being harried and running against time.
What specific habits have you been working on learning or letting go of? Kindly tell us the specific steps you are taking.

VICTORIA: Habits I have been working on would be taking a 5-7 day bible plan that talks about knowing God or building your relationship with God per week. I do that. I’m also trying to read a chapter of a book per day (getting better at that).

Habits I am letting go off are: going through whatsapp statuses. In fact, someone reached out to me today asking if I am alright because I haven’t been seen online as I used to be. So, yay!

ETHEL: I love the energy you are putting into the focus of you and God. Double Yayyyy to timeout on time wasters.
What would you say has been your greatest challenge to living an ORGANIZED, PROFESSIONAL LIFE with HEALTHY HABITS?

VICTORIA: The greatest challenge would be getting my children to fall in line with everything I teach them daily. Sometimes, they just want to play all day and scatter their room.

ETHEL: The joy and freedom of children! I totally get you on this.
In this period of heightened distractions, what have you done to reinforce your healthy habits for others around you, perhaps your extended family or your children?

VICTORIA: The children read a lot, and we spend about 15 minutes daily talking about the books we read. I also allow them to lead prayers and read the devotionals.

ETHEL: This is it! Implementation! Putting it to practice to achieve results. Way to go, Sis.
James Clear, in this book, talked about the first law of “Making it obvious”, what specific strategies have you used to make your habits more obvious? Have they been effective?

VICTORIA: I consciously excuse myself from the reception when I am not busy, so I don’t just “gist away” or get distracted by whatever is showing on the TV screen. I think it has been effective.

ETHEL: What better way to make a small change indeed obvious. You have taken the techniques in this book and are running full speed with it. Kudos!
Now, to our fun, trivia question: what animal can we learn from that makes small, incremental changes to its life over time? And one lesson you would take from it?

VICTORIA: Animal? Maybe a rat. Those things are relentless, and they always find a way to get what they want.

ETHEL: Hehehe, they sure can be quite formidable with an ‘at all cost’ attitude.

This has been an exciting interview. Thank you, Sis Victoria, for helping us remember that baby steps are important to achieving long-lasting results. God bless you!

Dear Sisters, you’ll agree with me that it’s been a very insightful and refreshing session with our sisters Vera, Victoria, and Akpevwe. Remember, changes that seem small and unimportant at first, will overtime compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years. Success is the product of daily habits—not once-in-a-lifetime transformations. Good habits make time your ally. Bad habits make time your enemy.

Beautiful WILD Sisters, NOW is the time to perpetuate those Habits that make time your ally. With God’s help, we will WIN in building practically healthy habits! AMEN!

Thank you for tracking with me to the end of today’s interviews, please, share with us your key takeaways in the comments.

PS: The WILD Library is now ACTIVE. It’s where you can download all the WILD eBooks and the summaries of all the books we read and reviewed in The WILD last year. Here’s the link to check it out: https://thewild.ng/library/

Shalom, Shalom!
Ethel and Blessing,
For the WILD Editorial Team