Habit Review

Dear Conscience,

I’m in the process of reinforcing my 3 basic habits. Yesterday I reviewed my Habit#1, which is writing to you daily. This habit is largely ingrained, and doesn’t need much building anymore. But it did need some refining: namely, I had to limit some negative externalities. Specifically, the urge to check the stats of my blog views several times a day.

In this refined version, I publish the post, and then forget about it until the next time I want to write or publish something. Yesterday was the first day of implementing this rule, and I had to stop myself a couple of times from opening the app/website to check. But I’m already familiar with this process of kicking a habit – in just a couple of days, the urge should be gone. And then I just need to keep up the behavior so as to not invite the urge back in.

This is also maybe a good lesson about habits. The habit doesn’t have to be perfect in its first incarnation. As long as I stick with it, I can always refine it later. Even prior to this current ‘amendment’, I was changing the habit around until it ‘fit’ properly. I started writing this blog in March 2023. But I only discovered a writing format that I could stick with about 4 months later.

I am aware that going back to reviewing these basic ‘core’ habits is maybe an escape back into my comfort zone at a time when I’m struggling to move on and build on top of them. But I will leave open the possibility that maybe with a stronger base, the building will also be more sturdy and shatter less often. Or at least sustain less damage at times of emotional turmoil. As it is right now, when I am in a bad period, everything cracks all the way to the base, and even these core habits get disrupted.

I am continuing today with not thinking much about this blog outside of posting this, and moving my thinking towards reinforcing the habit of staying away from my phone at night. I already have some great ideas!

Sincerely,
B.