When you FINALLY commit to doing that thing you’ve been thinking about doing for ages, push it down.
Internalise it.
Just build it in to your life invisibly.
That way, you’re much more likely to keep on doing it.
That’s the way habits form.
They just become ‘something you do’.
The Trap.
I go to a personal trainer 3 times a week.
And apart from the odd story on 50odd I don’t talk about it.
It’s because I find that when people do rattle on about things like this, they are as much fed by the reaction of the person they are telling, as the thing itself.
Ooh. This diet I’m on is a bugger. I had a cabbage for tea last night. What do you think about that? Cabbage. That’s all I had. A cabbage. But if I want to lose this 5 stone, I just HAVE to do it. What do you think about that? Cabbage. Oooooh!
I fell into the trap a week ago.
I’m off caffeine and alcohol at the moment as I was knackered and dizzy.
And I mentioned it to far too many people.
It somehow became a badge.
I think that – for some reason – I wanted to say it, then see what people said.
To see how they reacted.
I think I did that because I wanted to turn a very personal decision into a group decision.
So that someone might talk me out of it.
Oooh I’ve had these headaches. Because I’m off alcohol and caffeine. Aren’t I great being off caffeine and alcohol? Do you think I should stop off alcohol and caffeine for ever? Or shall we go to the pub tonight? What do you think? Are you busy later? Pub? Me and you? 7?
I didn’t say this, exactly.
But something weird was going on in my head.
So I’ve decided to shut up now.
And push it down.
That way, I sense it’ll just become part of what I do.
A habit.
And I actually think I’ll get a better feeling if someone ever comments on the effect of the change I’ve made, as opposed to hearing their comments on the change itself.
