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I got out of the habit of good habits.
My Mom visited me a few weeks ago. The following week I celebrated a birthday over the course of a few days. Then we welcomed a new nephew to our family. We spent time in the hospital and visiting. I loved seeing my Mom. I had a great time for my birthday. It was wonderful spending time with family to celebrate the nephew. I changed my routine that week. I adapted it to the circumstances.
I had been working out 6 days/week. I lost 10 lbs. Reduced my body fat by 40%. I was writing and posting 4 times a week. I was receiving great feedback on my posts. It seemed like I was in a zone.
The circumstances interrupted my positive habits. My writing has dropped off. My exercise is now at 3 days a week. I think I wrote something last week.
Habits influence. Positive habits beget positive habits. Negative habits beget negative habits.
The law of inertia applies to habits. It will take a force to get you moving if you’re sitting still. Once you’re moving, it will take some force to stop your momentum.
This is why the habit habit is a good habit. The habit habit is the habit of performing your good habits … even if you can’t do them justice. You don’t have time to go to the gym? You have time to drop and do 20 push-ups and 20 squats (and you can do them in business clothes). Do 3 sets. You don’t have time to write 500 words? Write for 5 minutes. You forgot to pack your low-cal lunch? Get a grilled chicken breast instead of a burger.
The habit habit is about making a decision. And committing to live that decision daily. I just made a decision. And here’s my commitment. “I am exercising, writing and eating well 6 days a week.” It might mean running a few flights of stairs. Or writing some piece of crap. Eat the grilled chicken platter while everyone else is eating enchiladas.
Start the habit habit. Decide what you want. Decide what actions you’ll take daily. Commit to it. Honor your commitment. And when you screw up, show yourself a little grace and honor your commitment tomorrow.
The price of deciding what we want is honoring our decisions so we can actually get what we want.
Are you willing to pay that price?
P.S. – I have don’t have time to proof this. I’ll honor my commitment to ship. Even if it’s crap.
Related articles
- Make Your Company a Habit (blogs.hbr.org)
- What’s Your Default? (blogs.hbr.org)
- Healthy Habit: Focus on One Thing at a Time (fitsugar.com)
