Creating Habits to Stay Ahead of Family Traits

Earlier this spring, I made a quick trip to Wisconsin after Rogaine challenged me to talk with my brother and sister about the traits we’d inherited (both good and bad) from our parents, and—more importantly—figure out how we could get ahead of those traits we didn’t like. From hereditary hair loss (my older brother) to exhausting people-pleaser tendencies (ahem* me*), we all agreed that we wanted to get ahead of certain traits inherited from our parents before they got the best of us.

Recently, I headed back to Wisconsin for a check-in with my siblings on how we’re doing in our individual efforts.

Turns out, pretty well! My sister is going strong on her goal of working out more frequently to fend off our dad’s “dad bod” shape, while my brother has committed to a daily Rogaine Foam regime (or is it regimen?) in defiance of hair that’s been thinning since his twenties. Even I’ve managed to adopt a regular meditation practice to help me feel less frazzled when I overcommit to obligations like my mom does.

They say we all turn into our parents eventually, but that doesn’t mean we’re stuck with the physical inheritance passed down in our genes, or the personality quirks passed across the dinner table over years of family suppers. The time to work on our hangups – from hair to a harried personality – is always now, not later.

Even my sister and I aren’t immune to my brother’s hair issues he’s getting ahead of. While we most often think of hereditary hair loss in men, it’s actually the leading cause of hair loss among women, too. Among women who experience hair thinning, most do so in their 30s.

And as guys well know, when left untreated, hair thinning can worsen over time. Meaning? The moment to get ahead of thinning hair is right now. Thankfully it’s not an issue my sister or I struggle with, but it’s good to know we can stay ahead of this family trait since it does run in the family, should we wind up inheriting it, too.

Take a look at our sibling check-in, and let us know what traits you’re working to get ahead of in your own life—whether inherited through nature or nurture.

The importance of creating habits to get ahead of family traits:

TELL US:

HOW ARE YOU WORKING TO GET AHEAD OF YOUR FAMILY TRAITS?