Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 10: Weekly Update

What was your SMART goal? Did it change at all during the project? Explain.

This semester was definitely a journey with many twists, turns, and unexpected sights. I started out with focusing on a food related to eating clean in order to reduce my impact on the environment. To make it more specific and more easily measurable, it was changed to eating 5 serving of fruits and vegetables every day. After a few weeks of that, I made it more challenging by adding some additional components like reducing dairy and sugar consumption. Toward the end of the project, I was inspired by several influences to try my hand at "simple living" by getting rid of unnecessary items in my home.

What helped you be successful? What things got in your way? How can you address these in the future?

The main thing that helped me be successful was having a well-written SMART goal that was specific, measurable, and attainable. The challenges I faced included a poorly written SMART goal and dealing with people around me who were not aware of my SMART goal. In the future, I can make sure to meet all the SMART criteria when writing my goal and I can inform people around me about my goal and how they can support me in changing my behavior.

How did you benefit from this project? What did you learn about yourself? What did you learn about behavior change?

I benefited from this project by becoming more self-aware. By participating in the project with my students, I benefited by being more in tune with their experiences and I think this makes me a better educator. I learned a lot about the world around me, how the world influences me on a daily basis, and how I influence the world through my choices. Through this project and additional readings, I learned that severely restrictive goals (especially eating goals) in which a person feels limited or punished can have a negative effect on long-term health goals and effectively changing a behavior. This has changed how I will teach about behavior change, nutrition, and SMART goals in the future.

How did others and/or the environment benefit from you changing this behavior?

The intention of the project was to reduce our ecological footprints through adopting an eco-friendly behavior of some kind. By eating lower on the food chain and reducing consumption patterns, I hope that my overall footprint was reduced. By eliminating unnecessary items from my home and passing them on to others who can use them, I am able to help others meet their needs while reducing the need for production of new items and keeping items from the landfill.

Will you continue this behavior? Why or why not?

As with all of life, this journey is not over. After so much learning this semester, I am not the same person I was before. I am much more aware of ALL of my behaviors now as far as how they impact the environment. Whenever something is going to be thrown away, I consider if it can be used for some other purpose, reused by another person, or recycled. When making food choices, I am reading labels more throughly and looking for natural ingredients that are not highly processed or have excessive packaging. I find myself shopping more on the outside of the store (rather than in the aisles) than ever before. I have also shopped several times at the co-op and I have considered getting a membership there as well as joining a CSA.

What recommendations do you have for others about making a lifestyle change?

I recommend to ALWAYS start with the SMARTest goal you can. Make sure it is a behavior that you value and make sure that you do not feel restricted or punished. It should be something that you are inspired to do. Otherwise, you are setting yourself up for failure or for a behavior that will end as soon as the project is finished. When it comes to true behavior change, it has to align with your value system and be a choice that you are prepared to make for good.

Linky Party Instructions

Join the party using MckLinky. Follow these instructions...

1. Start by posting your post on your blog according to the instructions provided on the course calendar.
2. AFTER the post is completed, join the party below by clicking the "You are next" link.
3. For the title, enter "Your blog name (Eco-Chic Week __)". Example: Eco-Chic with Amy (Eco-Chic Week 3) 
4. For the link URL, add the permalink to your post.
5. Select "enter your link" and you will return to this blog post and should see your entry listed below. Click on it to make sure it takes you to the specific post.
6. Return to your blog. Click "edit posts" and select "edit" next to the introductory post.
7. Add the following text at the bottom of your post: "Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week __ hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy." Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week __" and insert the permalink to this party post. Then highlight the "Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy" and insert the main URL to this blog.
8. Select orange "Publish Post" button at the bottom of the window to publish the changes.
9. Also leave a comment on this post. 
10. Visit your web group members' blogs and leave comments for them as well.