1 min read: I have scheduled some behaviour or other to change each month of this year. In January I gave up alcohol for the month and in February I quit coffee. The experience/abstinence has sharply reframed my relationship with booze and caffeine. This month I’m quitting 10pm. I’m going to be in bed by 9:50 every night. This should mean a solid 8 hours sleep every night for a month. Cat and child notwithstanding. Over the rest of the year I’ll quit the World Wide Web, smart devices, social media, refined sugar, the combustion engine and a bunch of other things I lean on or rely on too much.
It’s been quite interesting giving up stuff that I know I abuse or lean on too heavily and I’ve been given a lot to think about. I think if you were considering giving up stuff you think is maybe not best for you I’d say just do a month and see how you feel. Maybe pick something meaningful but NOT your main goal to practice on. I’m building up to reshaping some big behaviours that I need to change for personal growth by practising on some smaller behaviours I don’t like.
Willpower is like a muscle and it gets stronger the more you make it work. You can make it more likely that you’ll successfully implement change by practising. Make lots of changes and stick to them.
paul@sodak.co.uk