Habits are HARD
Posted under: Not Fair!
Personally, I think it’s totally unfair that I can’t just DECIDE to be better/healthier/less stressed/productive and then BE that thing.
Oh, sure, it’s easy when everything’s all shiny and new, but after a few days it just feels like … work.
Bleh.
(As a note: Buckethead–my internal child and muse–is NOT fooled by the sickly-sweet, “Yay! I GET to work out today!” She’s too canny, especially when the last time I said that, our calves, ankles, and pushup muscles hurt.)
A Mind Like a Finely-Tuned Sieve
Part of the problem is just REMEMBERING.
Which sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. The more things I do, the more likely I am to forget NEW things I’m trying to add to that list.
Take, for example, Deadliner.
I WROTE Deadliner. Easy to remember, right?
Not so much.
Except even though I was incorporating my edits from Steve Hall, I kept forgetting to update the app with my wordcount.
Because it wasn’t already part of my routine, it kept falling off. Not to mention, it’s an extra step. Despite the fact that I’ve told myself that extra step is a GOOD THING, my subconscious clearly would rather spend that 30 seconds surfing the internet.
Two New Habits
I’m working on two new habits. Or, more precisely, two new REPORTING habits. I want to track and monitor my progress on writing and working out. Deadliner and Fitocracy.
I believe that having that paper trail will show me how much I have gained and give me reasons to keep striving.
They won’t do a blessed thing if I keep forgetting to update them, though!!!
“Write Every Day” doesn’t work for me. Maybe it works for you, that’s awesome. It absolutely does not work for me. It causes unnecessary stress, some days I am mentally and emotionally drained by my work day, some days I have my “bad headaches”, and some days I just want to cuddle up with my husband for some us time.
On the other hand, “Write When You Can” ALSO doesn’t work for me. That turns into “Write When You Feel Like It” and I am a freaking WIZARD when it comes to convincing the world I don’t actually enjoy writing.
I need goals, and my goals are different from your goals which are different from everyone else’s goals. That’s why I wrote Deadliner in the first place … but a tool sitting on the shelf gathering dust is purt-near useless.
Sight, Mind
I’m trying to kill the “out of sight, out of mind” that’s been sniping my new habits before they’ve had a chance to take root.
Both of my new habits are websites.
I have made both of them the ONLY links visible on my bookmarks bar (everything else, I’ve shoved into a folder).
Now, they shout at me every time my gaze wanders up by my open tabs.
Additionally, my default homepage features those links, so every time I open a new tab or window, I’m not-so-subtly reminded that those sites exist and want my attention.
So far, this seems to be working. I’m constantly reminded that Deadliner and Fitocracy are THERE, just waiting for me to do something that I can add to them. Hopefully they’ll make their way into my everyday life soon. *fingers crossed*
Till then, I am also not above bribery.
Self Bribery
Self, here’s the deal.
If you finish Pony Express before the end of December, you can buy the Ilona Andrews “Magic –” Kate Daniels book series.
If you do TWO big workouts a week throughout the month of December, you can buy the Tamora Pierce Terrier/Bloodhound/Mastiff Beka Cooper series.
I LOVE both those series, and have been reading them avidly from the library. I know they have re-read value for me, but I have been putting off buying them because I’m weird about money.
Only about money?
*ducks* That was a cheap shot, but it was there, so I took it. I’m not proud of it, but there you have it. <3
On a more serious note (it's Friday; don't get greedy!), I read somewhere that repeating something X number of days in a row makes it a habit…but I can't remember if it was 11, 13, or 14. BUT it was in that ballpark.
Hmm…I'm not being very helpful, am I? :(
I’m weird about lots of things, but only the money thing is stopping me on the books. *raspberry*
I’ve heard that as well, but it hasn’t worked out for me, at least with regards to exercise.
I never have these sorts of problems. None of them. Ever.
*sips a cup of coffee with a smug smile*
One of your almost-adult children wishes to be an evil scientist when he “grows up”.
You have a WHOLE DIFFERENT set of problems from me. Such as, where does one buy a set of evil beakers with which to gift said child?
Evil beakers?
Okay, let us disregard that gifts for said manchild are dinosaurs and lego sets. He likes to PRETEND that he will be an evil scientist, but that is not what his real goal is. So really I just have to buy pretend evil beakers.
At any rate, what you refer to are not problems. AND….
Evil scientists are needed, cuz if they weren’t needed, we wouldn’t have them. (circular logic is best)
1) one cannot gift superhappysunshine beakers to evil scientists. They can tell the difference.
2) http://www1.asknlearn.com/ri_Ilearning/English/631/elang-ilearning/page3a.htm
You guys beat me to all the funny comments! (although my definition of funny has been called into question by my wife, but my 10-year-old son thinks I’m funny … hmmm …)
@Anne – I laughed out loud at your response, which garnered some attention here in “cube-land”
Tami – a little off subject, please keep the “weird about money” habit, it will serve you very well in your life. I did not have that problem and eventually found myself deep in debt for things I bought. By the age of 30 I was drowning and with the help of my much smarter than I am wife, we’ve straightened it out but it took over ten years. If I teach nothing else to my children, I want them to be weird about spending their money!
OK, on subject – a couple of years ago, I worked out every morning without fail. I kept it up for one whole year, no exaggeration! I hated it, and I thought it would become an unbreakable habit, but as soon as something came up to break the routine -BAM- it was gone, and I don’t work out anymore.
Wait a minute – that’s not encouraging.
OK, how about this: YEA! YOU GET TO GO WORKOUT NOW!!!!
I can’t workout now, I’m at WORK!
Also, the only place we have to work out is at the bottom of the stairwell and the last time I did crunches and pushups there, I got cement dust all over my sweater.
Whelp, we could update Deadliner to pester you if you don’t log in and are missing deadlines. Really, though, it’s because your tools don’t talk. We could do that too. Here’s a use-case scenario.
Scrivener could give Deadliner a call. “Hey Deadliner! Here’s an updated word count.” Deadliner responds, “Holy shit! A talking word processor!” (Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all night. Drunk and possibly coding.)
brad-o´s last post ..My Pro-Life Policy
I like the idea of the reminders (so long as they can be turned on/off, natch)
Talking to Scrivener would require an API though, and I’m not sure they have one.
Oh. Right. More on topic (i.e. where I don’t make excuses for you or your tools :P).
I went to the pediatrician with my kiddo and wife earlier this week because he caught his first cold and had run a low fever. Ok. I lied. We took him there because we overreacted to his first cold and first low fever. While there, we asked about various infant medications. She let us know that a common medication was no better than a placebo. The medication I was taking. The medication that *used* to work. This is all to say that bribery doesn’t work for me either, but I won’t tell you why.
I was talking with a friend of mine that used to have a similar affliction. Apparently, what we were supposed to do was join the Army. He learned to just *do* things from it. That’s one of those life skills I’m slowly picking up (finally).
brad-o´s last post ..My Pro-Life Policy
I’m very curious about what medication you’re talking about, yes I am.
“Just Do It” is also great advice, and it is THE only way to combat procrastination. If you find yourself thinking “I really should be X” then “Just Do It” is the solution.
If, however, you kind of forget that working out is even an OPTION … then you need some way to remember. <.<