Journal Entry (Wednesday January 4, 2023)
Change is hard. Not only that, but you can expect it to be uncomfortable. I want to drink less coffee, but what am I going to do instead when I want another cup of coffee after I have already had two or three? I want to row and do yoga daily, but that is as hard to get started as changing the coffee routine. (I have to take a break now for my third cup of coffee.) I suppose if it feels uncomfortable it is probably worth doing. Perhaps a good way to accomplish change is to break it down into small steps or increments. Saying to myself that I am going to start rowing and doing yoga is not granular enough. Something easier, and at the same time more concrete, might produce better results.
I’m taking a break to think about this a bit more, and have my fourth cup of coffee.
I think the approach to take is one that uses small two-minute steps. These are easy to do daily and lead to establishment of the new habit. For yoga, I’ll start by getting out the mat. For rowing I’ll get on the machine and row for no more than two minutes. It also doesn’t hurt to have a goal that can only be achieved by establishing the new habits, in may case I want to do these things so I can take a bicycle trip in the Spring.
I think I have a plan! I’m going to celebrate with a cup of coffee!