“I’m just not a routine person.”
“I guess I’m just a free spirit.”
“But I don’t want to be boring!”
These were the excuses I made when I failed—yet again—to keep up a new habit. These were the things I’d tell myself when I thought about the things I wanted to do daily—journal, meditate, go to the gym—but never did.
I had an excuse for everything. I had a reason to control every failure. The road to success may be full of curves, but the path to failure is much easier to predict. And I like to stay in control.
Over the last few months, I went from not being able to be consistent with anything to genuinely doing the damn things I wanted to do. It wasn’t a matter of forcing myself, and it wasn’t a quick fix. It was a diligent, conscious, intentional, and vigilant process to bring about new, healthier habits into my life.
Bottoming Out
Late last year, I hit a breaking point. If I continued on the path I was on, I realized that in two, five, or 10 years I’d only have regrets, frustration, and a gnawing sense that I could have done better. I was tired of dreaming up goals and never achieving them.
Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
I hate to be stereotypical and quote Gandhi, but hear him out: “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” The problem was that I was in disharmony with myself. I’d…