Developing effective routines
When I was younger, I would always get in trouble for eating food in bed. My dad would dislike it when I would leave food on my bed for hours, causing bugs to infiltrate my room. He told me if I didn't stop, there would be consequences.
My little 7-year-old brain didn't fully understand the meaning of consequences or long-term memory, so I forgot we had that conversation and kept eating food in my room. Long story short, I haven't had a bag of chips in my bed, let alone in my room, in months. Yet, it took me years to change my habit. Even something as simple as "I want you to eat in a different area," had become ingrained in my routine.
My dad always claimed the kitchen when we didn't have family dinners, so I thought there was no better place to eat than in the comfort of my own room. However, I was in no mood to share my bed with other creatures. Habits, particularly those we consider insignificant, are incredibly difficult to break. Breaking a habit is impossible unless you genuinely want to do so.
I began by writing notes and placing them on my mirror, ensuring that every morning I would glance at them and remember not to bring food upstairs. This helped me start the day on a positive note. Yet, that didn't stick because I soon lost interest in the notes. I then decided to set alarm clocks for myself throughout the day as a reminder to not bring food upstairs and stay in the kitchen. But that didn't help either. It wasn't because I forgot or was too lazy to walk upstairs. I simply saw no issue with the matter, which made it impossible for me to stop, as I truly believed that what I was doing was acceptable. Plus, I was feeding the lowly critters, so in actuality I giving back to the community.
I've discovered that, not only with habits, but also in relationships and compromises, you often disagree, resist change, and can fail to identify a problem if you don’t see the benefits of change. However, when your actions cause harm to yourself or those around you, you temporarily set aside your opinions and feelings. It's hard to recognize and validate a problem within ourselves, but it's entirely necessary for growth. Changing can be difficult, but there are many ways to make it easier.
Firstly, identify said habit or behavior; routines occur often without thought as they become automatic in your daily life.
Secondly, create a plan that consists of small, reasonable goals that you can easily achieve without making sudden changes to your daily routine. Additionally, identify specific actions you can take towards these goals.
During this process, make sure to be patient. While habits can be difficult to break and setbacks may occur, it's crucial to focus on your goals and the future, and to persist in your progress.
Change is possible and achievable for everyone, given the right path.
