I’m a creature of habit, so when I find something I like (something that won’t hurt me or get me into trouble), I tend to turn it into a regular part of my schedule.
The rice cake with peanut butter has become the one constant in my lunch. I usually add a piece of fruit and a few carrot sticks to round out the meal.
I have a small piece of light cheese and an organic blueberry toaster pastry (unfrosted) with a few quarts of coffee while I read the morning paper (the real one that is actually printed on paper and tossed at the end of our driveway).
And I drink a can of low-sodium vegetable juice every day.
My life is all about habit, and this year I’m all about establishing new constructive habits while breaking some of the old non-productive kind.
It’s supposed to take about thirty days to develop these new routines, although I must say my toaster pastry breakfast and peanut butter lunch took a lot less time than that.
The things I want to do more of: Exercise, write, read, listen to music, learn to do something totally new (like playing the drums or speaking Italian), work in my yard and garden, and go out to breakfast more often.
Things I want to do less of: Watch television, play spider solitaire, and whine about not having enough time or energy to do the things I want to do more of.
Needless to say, I have my work cut out for me.
How are you doing with your habits these days? Do you have any tips for breaking the bad ones?
Pat – Rice cakes with peanut butter actually sounds good! As to habits? I need to keep myself in the habit of going to the gym. I have a bad habit of skipping a day for a very good reason (e.g. I’m sick, etc..) but then not getting back to it as soon as I’m able. So I need to keep on myself about that.
Alex, I think it’s the “want to stop doing something” that hangs me up. I “know I should stop doing something” but that doesn’t necessarily become a “want” right away.
Haven’t had a rice cake in years. Yes, they do need the peanut butter.
I guess when I want to stop doing something I just make the decision to stop and I stop. Sorry, you probably didn’t want to hear that…
LD — I moved my spider solitaire games from daytime to only when “watching” evening television. I guess that’s better than nothing.
Lizy, congratulations to you for giving up smoking. That’s huge. I’m a former smoker too, so I know how it goes.
My bad habit is this – looking at blogs. I should restrict my screen time for the sake of my eyes. I did quit smoking last year though, so that’s one bad habit broken.
Having a little trouble getting the new habits (goals for 2013) off the ground this year. I’m good for a few days then I backslide. Still working on it.
I did set a mini-goal that I wouldn’t play spider solitaire until after noon, to give myself a little less distraction in the morning. Staying with that one pretty well.
Julie, how cool that you play the mandolin. Music is so good for the soul.
Karen and Jenny — I finally broke the Minesweeper habit only to fall into the spider solitaire trap…I play with two decks and tend to play until I win one…or two.
Hilary, If I have to resort to removing the games completely from my computers, I will. After all, removing goodies from my pantry and refrigerator was the solution to my snacking problem. 😀
Thanks to my friend in Indiana, Jayne, for calling my attention to the typo in my blog post title. I’ve corrected Habigt to Habit and vow to remember to proofread the title when I preview the rest of the post. Oh, well, can’t win them all.
Hi Patricia .. I always remove the Games – then I can’t do anything about playing … such a dreadful waste of time!!
Like you I need to do more reading – probably start reading … exercise – I’m starting to do regularly and nearly daily … etc etc ..
Good luck with it all .. and playing the drums – I’ll come too .. Hilary
I need to break the same habits! I have three kinds of solitaire on my phone, so when I get bored with one I can move on to another 🙂
I do hope you learn to play the drums. I will come to your recital!
Patricia, I had to laugh because my goal this year is to play less spider solitaire as well. What is it about that stupid game?
Karen
Patricia– I do much better with habit and routine too. Which means if I settle into a bad one, I’m in trouble. Working out– some kind of exercise most days–is a good one I have. I am trying to start a better habit of journaling, practicing my mandolin, and making the time to read every day. It’s tough to work those all in!
By the way, I love rice cakes and peanut butter. Yum. One of my staples.