I heard a fitness instructor say recently, “Habits are easy to form, but hard to break,” and I instantly disagreed with him. I think habits are really hard to form. After some further thought, I decided he meant to say, “BAD habits are easy to form, but hard to break.” There used to be, and maybe still is, this thought that a habit takes 21 days to form, but I disagree with that, too! I believe good habits are really hard to form. So let me share my recent habit failure with you.

Do you remember when I told you about how we had to walk our dog every day because she had put on the COVID 15? As soon as we heard the news from our Vet of her “Puff Daddy” status, we started walking her every day. We committed to 30 straight days without wavering, and we did it. Rain or shine, night or day, we took Sophie out for some exercise. After the 30 days were completed, we started to get lackadaisical. I had a million great excuses, but they were excuses nonetheless. And now, I don’t even remember the last walk. Has that ever happened to you? You started out strong on something and then fell off the wagon?

Well, I now have two choices. I can beat myself up over my failed attempt at creating a great habit (read yesterday’s post—this is NOT a good choice). Or I can begin anew today. Start fresh, forgetting completely the failure. It’s water under the bridge, right? Maybe you’ve had a New Year’s resolution that got derailed for one reason or another. I hope you’re not thinking about abandoning the resolution altogether? Failure happens. I’m proof. It’s what you do next that’s most important. So today, I will start fresh and begin again with no judgement of the past. That is the healthiest thing I can do for me and I am recommending it for you as well. Come on, we can do this!! And please, whatever you do, do not wait until 1/1/22 to begin again. That’s crazy talk!

With Gratitude,

Beth

P.S. All the hyperlinks today are powerful, but my favorite may be the healthiest thing.