I've decided to do a New Year's Resolutions Part 2 because yesterday I focused on creating new habits and obtaining goals. Today I want to focus on getting rid of old bad habits. And I am going to suggest that in the case of getting rid of bad habits, you do your best to stop cold turkey. This is because our bad habits are likely contradicting the good habits we are trying to improve. It is likely that there may be a slip up, or two, or ten. However, knowing, acknowledging, and acting upon what we need to stop is just as important, and in some cases even more important, than the habits we are trying to create.
Let's look at a simple example of keeping your space organized, or it could be keeping your work calendar or files organized. If you have allowed your space to get to an unorganized or chaotic state, it is going to take some time to get things back in order. However, if you set aside time each day to make progress, yet still maintain your habit of tossing things about or leaving things in a haphazard manner, it may defeat the progress you are trying to make. Even if your first step is to stop the unproductive habit, it will help to stop the mess you have to clean up from getting that much larger. And if you slip up, remember, we can always start again.
There's a sing I listen to from Glenn Lundy's Rise & Grind podcast and one of the lines says "Can't cheat the grind, only get what you put in." When thinking about your New Year's resolutions, keep that in mind, when thinking about life, keep that in mind. Sure we may be presented with opportunities that exceed our expectations, however we have to be present and available to receive them - and that too is part of the "grind." So, figure out if there are things you need to stop and take action to "stop" them, and if at first or fifth you don't succeed, try again. Keep going until you reach your goal.
