April 24,2023
Shalom, Shalom, Sisters!
Welcome baccccccccccckkkkk!!!
How have you been, and how was your break? I hope you stayed well-rested in God and spoke His truth over your life and those of your loved ones?
Most importantly, I hope the break was one well utilized in Eden? Y’all know it’s Eden or Eden for us as WILD WOMEN, so we can blast from all cylinders this Q2.
Guess what?
We have the exciting finale of our interview series on Practically Healthy Habits (PHH), which is my welcome gift to you from the break and also serves as a reminder of PHH!!
As a community, we have come a long way and pivoted into Practically Healthy Diets (PHD). But before we get into PHD, we want to share some fun insights that’ll inspire you to take those baby steps into becoming the best version that God needs you to be through this second lap of the PHH interviews.
So, sit back, grab a glass of water, relax, raise your feet, and enjoy this wrap-up interview.
BLESSING: Shalom, Sister. Can you please introduce yourself and tell us how long you have been in The WILD?
TAIWO: Shalom, Shalom Sisters. Thank you for having me here. It’s an incredible privilege that I do not take for granted. My name is Taiwo Ajagbe Omolola. I am a legal practitioner, and I officially joined The WILD last year on the 26th of October, 2022. After going through the onboarding phase, I can confidently say that I’ve been part of this amazing community for over 4 months and 5 days.
BLESSING: Welcome, Taiwo! It’s a privilege to have a lawyer in our seat, and wow, you are good with your math to come up with such exact figures. So, I guess the myth of lawyers hating math doesn’t apply to you? Hehe.
Okay, let’s dive right in! Have you personally started reading the book Atomic Habits by James Clear? If yes, what are your general thoughts about the book?
TAIWO: No, I haven’t started reading “Atomic Habits” yet because I recently started reading “Messy Beautiful Friendship”. I was at a crossroad with a friend, and after speaking to God, I decided to read a book on friendship to help me navigate the situation with grace. I am the sort of reader who likes to take things one book at a time. I feel like if I tried to multiple reads, I won’t be able to fully appreciate the value of each book.
However, from the reviews from our sisters in The WILD, it sounds like “Atomic Habits” is a must-read! I love the book as it seems relatable, engaging, and practical. Once I finish “Messy Beautiful Friendship”, I will be picking up “Atomic Habits” next..
BLESSING: I love your intentionality and system, knowing yourself, and maximizing your value. Considering that, can you please share with us the lightbulb moments you’ve had since The WILD started discussing Practically Healthy Habits?
TAIWO: First, I would love to commend the leadership of The WILD for recognizing the importance of healthy habits and taking action to address them.
Regarding your question, I have to say that the one part that stood out for me was the four steps to creating and addressing habits: cue, craving, response, and reward. It made me realize that my cue for an unhealthy habit with movies was boredom and free time. When I feel bored or have some free time, my default is to reach for my phone and start watching movies. Now, I am not saying it is bad to watch movies, but I realized that I don’t currently have a limit to how much I watch.After identifying my cue and craving, I took steps to address that habit.
BLESSING: You are not alone in your struggle, sister! Can you please share with us specific habits you have been working on letting go? Also, please share with us specific steps you are taking.
TAIWO: I am currently working on reducing the amount of time I spend watching movies, and these are the specific actions I have taken:
- First, write it down. While observing my end-of-the-year/New Year retreat, I listened to AJS’s message and noted down “healthy practice/state of mind” and I decided to reduce my rate of watching movies.
- Second, distance yourself! Recently, I have been placing my phone in a location where I can not easily reach it. Alternatively, I work in an area away from my phone. This way, I am not easily tempted to pick up my phone when I’m bored or tired of work.
- Third, be intentional about it! Every morning, I remind myself that I will not watch any movies that day. I was successful on the first day, the second day, and the rest of the week. By the end of the week, I had lost my appetite to watch movies.
- Fourth, listen to the Holy Spirit. The truth is the Holy Spirit speaks; I just sometimes ignore His voice. I recall a time when I had spent hours watching movies, and He suggested that I listen to messages instead.
At first, I disregarded the thought, but He spoke even more strongly this time, just like sis Temi described during our fast last week on Wednesday. I immediately put off the movie and listened to a message. The Holy Spirit wants our growth, and He’s actively helping us with our weaknesses.Finally, I rely on God’s help.
BLESSING: Wow, sis! I’m loving the specific steps you have been taking to curb your movie-watching habit; it is so simple and practical! More grace to you, sis, as you continue.
Now, what would you say has been the greatest challenge to living an ORGANIZED, PROFESSIONAL LIFE with HEALTHY HABITS?
TAIWO: Hmmm, for me, I’d say it’s consistency – or lack thereof. Even though I have listed some practical ways I have taken to reduce my movie-watching habits, there are times I slip up and fall back into old habits. But I am a work in progress, and I know that with a little more self-discipline and determination, I will be fine.
BLESSING: Yes, sis, like Coach has said multiple times, you can not unlearn a habit you have mastered for over 2 decades in just one week. You continue at it, and I am sure you will overcome!
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?
TAIWO: I took two steps to tackle my habit:
- First, I wrote the habit down.
- Second, I set a time limit for certain apps on my phone. I got this idea from Coach – she said she sets a time limit for certain apps on her phone, and I decided to try it, too. I set a timer for YouTube and other distracting apps, and the moment I realize I have gotten to the limit, it’s a cue for me to drop my phone and do something else.
I’d say these steps make it obvious what I need to do, which makes it easier to stick to them. But are they effective? Well, the first one is working great, but as for the second… Let’s just say it’s not as effective as I’d hoped it’d be.
BLESSING: I understand you, sister. We face similar struggles, but we lean on our Father to make it easy for us, and His grace abounds for us. Thank you so much, sis Taiwo, for being vulnerable with us.
Now, to our fun, trivia question. What animal can we learn from that makes small, incremental changes to their lives over time? And one lesson you would take from it?
TAIWO: Hmmm, if I had to choose an animal, it would be the EAGLE! One of the beautiful things about eagles is that they are the ultimate self-care gurus! They take time out of their busy schedule to go to a faraway place and pull out their own feathers to make way for new ones – I think the process is called molting. They are dedicated to self-improvement!
I love the process. I understand that it is not easy and painful, yes, but worth it. By shedding their old feathers, eagles can grow new ones and soar higher than ever before, which is a lesson we can all learn from.
One lesson to take from it is that whether we are feeling worn out or not, we all need to take some time for ourselves to rest, rejuvenate, and recharge.
As you said, there are lots of distractions in this world, and it is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of every day. However, if we don’t take the time to retreat and refuel, we might end up burnt out and exhausted.
“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:31 NLT
These things happen when we wait on the Lord.
Also, Isaiah 30:15 says, NLT
“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.”
Isaiah 30:15 NLT
If we don’t make the time to retreat, to pull back to the secret place to be built like the eagle, we would get worn out, and I don’t want to get worn out.
BLESSING: This has truly been enlightening! There is something incredible about your perspective. God bless you, sister. Yes, we would be like the eagle!
There you have it, sisters, succinct but valuable. I hope you dedicate more time to retreat and pray to build up your strength for the journey ahead.
Please don’t forget to like, share, and comment!
Till we come again next time, build your healthy habits practically!!!
Shalom!
Blessing,
For the WILD Editorial Team