The Habit Lab

Ever wonder how small habits can lead to big transformations? Join me, Jenna Zint, and my 11-year-old daughter, Audrey, as we dive into the ups and downs of life with type 1 diabetes.

But this episode isn’t just for those dealing with diabetes.
It’s for anyone facing challenges in life. Instead of getting stuck in shame or hopelessness, we encourage you to get curious.
Asking yourself:
What habit tweaks could bring practical solutions to your own struggles?
We’ll show you how small changes can create momentum and help you build a life that feels more manageable and hopeful.
Diagnosed at six, Audrey humorously shares how she juggles school, family, and faith while managing diabetes with an insulin pump and blood sugar monitor. We talk about the habits that make life smoother—like snack bins and fanny packs—and the behind-the-scenes challenges of school, where simple hand signals and supportive teachers make a world of difference.

And for some laughs at the end- Audrey pulls back the curtain on our Instagram reel antics, where habit-building meets hilarious moments (yes, even expired lettuce has its role!).
Whether you’re a parent, a kid, or just someone looking for creative ways to tackle life’s curveballs, this episode brings a mix of real talk and a healthy dose of humor to keep you motivated.

Did you know most people give up their Bible Reading plans before February?
I made a 15 min video on How-to build one that sticks!
< Click to watch & learn >

If you want to join Jenna's Bible Habit membership-
simply become a supporter of our podcast!
Click the $9/month membership & you are in.
< Visit our patreon here! >

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you've enjoyed this podcast; would you consider financially supporting the show? Every $5/month donation- helps Jenna to continue to prioritize making content for you.
Click this link to support the show.
patreon.com/TheHabitLab
We appreciate it so much! The Zints

But for real... we unknowingly allow idealism to murder our motivation by keeping us frozen. Sometimes it appears saying we're waiting to show up with excellence before taking action, but when you peel back that layer- is it actually stealing from us or serving us.
How-to combat Idealism
1) notice chronic feelings of disappointment/failure
2) increase awareness that thats usually evidence of unrealistic expectations
(aka-idealism)
3) examine your expectations
HABIT TO EXAMINE YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
Ask yourself the following questions

• What were my expectations here? (of myself or situation) Take a few minutes to sit with yourself to flush out these answers. They're probably all subconscious & nothing you actually vocalized beforehand.
• What did I actually do? (list what you did do/happened & notice the factors beyond your control at play & be aware of your own limits)
• Were my inital expectations realistic? (Honestly assess what you expected -vs- how long it took & the factors outside of your control.)
• Did I spend my time well? (Consider the effort you put in with your current skills & those factors. Remember perfect isn't the standard here.)
• Could I say I was successful even if I didn't hit my initial expectations? ( This will require you to redefine what success means. You might not have 100% fit your ideal outcome, but being "successful" is a wider/broader net.
• Do you owe yourself an apology? I often do this when I realize I was shaming my efforts based on unattainable standards?
• Can you give yourself gratitude for the effort you put in? Behavioral Scientist have found that we change more quickly when we choose to be proud of yourself even when we are only marginally better. If we embrace the learning curve, we arrive at mastery faster.

Did you know most people give up their Bible Reading plans before February?
I made a 15 min video on How-to build one that sticks!
< Click to watch & learn >

If you want to join Jenna's Bible Habit membership-
simply become a supporter of our podcast!
Click the $9/month membership & you are in.
< Visit our patreon here! >

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you've enjoyed this podcast; would you consider financially supporting the show? Every $5/month donation- helps Jenna to continue to prioritize making content for you.
Click this link to support the show.
patreon.com/TheHabitLab
We appreciate it so much! The Zints

Jenna chats through some of her starter steps for nailing in a bedtime routine.
She discusses the relationship of night time routine feeding into your morning routine habits. She'll give you some ideas for anti-habits to begin to break up with your bedtime scrolling habit or Netflix habits that might be a sabotaging the rest you are really looking for!
Join the next semester of Habit Lab Mastery Course.
Online semester will run <TUESDAY'S 9:30-11am> starting January 23- March 26.
Registration opens January 3- save your Christmas money to invest in yourself.
Legit- it's the gift that keeps on giving.
Join the waitlist here >> Habit Lab Mastery Course at TheHabitLab.org.

If you want to join Jenna's Bible Habit membership-
simply become a supporter of our podcast!
Click the $9/month membership & you are in.
< Visit our patreon here! >

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you've enjoyed this podcast; would you consider financially supporting the show? Every $5/month donation- helps Jenna to continue to prioritize making content for you.
Click this link to support the show.
patreon.com/TheHabitLab
We appreciate it so much! The Zints

Jenna chats through the fruit of their habits of serving at their church & how the fruit has far out weighed the cost. The counter intuitive realization of building habit of serving actually got her out of "survival mode" a few times in the last decade. When it felt like she had nothing to give; realizing she could give the two cents she had and instead of feeling bankrupt- she left with more margin.
Jenna is a life coach specializing in helping people build habits.
She offers one-on-one habit coaching at ZintSquad.com
Check out her 10 week Habit Lab Mastery Course at TheHabitLab.org.

If you want to join Jenna's Bible Habit membership-
simply become a supporter of our podcast!
Click the $9/month membership & you are in.
< Visit our patreon here! >

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you've enjoyed this podcast; would you consider financially supporting the show? Every $5/month donation- helps Jenna to continue to prioritize making content for you.
Click this link to support the show.
patreon.com/TheHabitLab
We appreciate it so much! The Zints

Take 10 week to invest in building better habits with
Jenna's Mastery Course <click to-register: open NOW>
Class starts Oct 1, 2024
Aaron & Jenna interview their 7 year old daughter, Rosie- to talk about their habits as a family around teaching their kids about to be aware of their emotions.
Habits we chat through

• doing the Emotion Wheel as a family @ dinner: Download your free copy here
• our emphasis on "you can connect with their sad & it doesn't mean you're bad."
• Rocket Ships: visual pictures we give them to give words to how they're feeling when overwhelmed with emotions
• different approaches for our kids with different personalities
• we remind them as their emotions are rising- we're here to help if they'd like some solutions
• they can feel angry/sad/hurt/etc... but there are consequences if they make messes IN/through their emotions

Goal for our family with teaching them emotional awareness: not an instant fix, at this point in our journey not a lot of behavior modification with it- but we see value in helping them learn this language so they can learn how to softly express their emotions in a way that invites connection.
Their emotions don't control what we do or excuses messes they make. It's helpful for them to be able to identify them feel heard & for us to be "with them" in their pain.

Did you know most people give up their Bible Reading plans before February?
I made a 15 min video on How-to build one that sticks!
< Click to watch & learn >

If you want to join Jenna's Bible Habit membership-
simply become a supporter of our podcast!
Click the $9/month membership & you are in.
< Visit our patreon here! >

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you've enjoyed this podcast; would you consider financially supporting the show? Every $5/month donation- helps Jenna to continue to prioritize making content for you.
Click this link to support the show.
patreon.com/TheHabitLab
We appreciate it so much! The Zints