This morning I was trying to figure out how I would confess to breaking my string of “sort of weekly” blogs. You may not have noticed (although I hope you did) that you haven’t heard anything from me for awhile. In fact, I think this is the longest stretch I have gone. The truth is, what was once a habit suddenly fell off my radar. And, the ease with which it happened, got me thinking about behaviors and habits in general.
That took me to Breaking Bad, one of my son Kilian’s favorite TV shows. I haven’t gotten around to watching it yet, but I understand it’s about a chemistry teacher that has gone over to the dark side to save his family. Maybe it’s premise is how easy it is to break good habits for all the right reasons and end up with results not intended at all.
Interesting isn’t it how hard it is to start a new habit. It takes commitment, concentration and consciousness to really make it stick. Yet, on the other hand, it seems like nothing to break that habit in the blink of an eye. Before we know it, it’s over and done. What’s that about?
Maybe it’s the messages we tell ourselves when we slip up. I’m sure I’m not the only one that hears that voice, “you’ve done it again” or “what else did you expect” or “I told you so”. You know the drill. And, once we hear those words, we slide down that rabbit hole and lose our energy, our motivation and our focus. It’s almost impossible to get back on track.
But what if, we shut our ears to the message, or maybe just said, “yup, I hear you, but I’m not listening!” Could we pick up that habit again and never skip a beat? That’s what I’m going to believe—that it really can be that simple.
What good money habit do you want to start again? Today’s as good a day as any to pick it up. Give it a try and let me know how it works.
