“I cannot wait to start another habit,” said no one ever. If viewing habits like most people do, they might have associated them with drinking, smoking, gambling, or other harmful addictions known to tear apart families and friendships. If currently lacking any addictions like those, then seeing how harmful they can be can help us avoid them, should they come across our path. Does anyone ever plan to become addicted to something? Not likely. People do mental gymnastics convincing themselves that they are different from others who are weak-minded. For a while, it may be true, but it is best not to push our luck.
Although initially cumbersome, especially as a child, we develop lots of habits without thinking about them. Brushing teeth is good for talking to others, but it keeps the teeth we chew with from falling out of our mouths. When lacking in hygiene, it is obviously noticeable to others who may try to avoid us. Chewing gum, biting fingernails, and talking too much, are all habits that can also be bothersome to the people around us. Why not search for another kind of habit, one that can change our life? For anyone consciously trying to eliminate a bad habit, it helps to replace it with a good one. If not, we might pick up another bad habit.
Trying something new can be quite the challenge, especially when dealing with habits. Try to lay at the opposite end of the bed; it will feel like another planet. Change is not always easy. In fact, starting anything good can be difficult. According to Newton, things that are at rest tend to stay there unless acted upon by some force. Once we start, we tend to stay in motion. The more we do something, the easier it gets to do the next time. That is the way momentum works. Without starting though, a good habit will never happen. It takes discipline, both in the beginning when it is hardest, but also in the days when we do not want to continue with the habit.
Habit is more important than intensity though. As it is said, simply showing up is often half the battle. For example, although my gym life has been off and on, starting again after being away from it was always hard. However, after going for a few weeks, it got easier to continue. It is similar to saving money. If completely broke, it may not seem worth it to save any money. But when several hundred dollars are sitting in savings, it feels like a real investment of one’s time and energy. If we do what we know we should be doing, consistently, what will happen in a week, a month, a year? How about 5 years, 10 years, or even a lifetime?
Recognize the value in one habit. It is wise to think about what is done habitually. Just because something is done for a long time, does not mean that we should do it or even that we know how to do it right. Take for example relationships. We may be convinced that we are doing it the best way, but the truth is revealed by what our spouse thinks. Sometimes adjustments need to be made to change our lives as they are now into what we wish they could be. Long term change starts with daily actions. Whether lying and cheating, or loving and caring, the more done of either will compound on each other. If we continue with our habits, where will they take us?
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Today’s post is an excerpt from Jeff Kayser’s book titled “The Value of One.” Return every week to read a new excerpt from the book. Why wait? The book in its entirety is available today at Amazon. Click the link below for the book’s video trailer.