Monday Inspiration: Breaking (Bad) Habits

We are what we repeatedly do. We are what we repeatedly do. We are what we repeatedly do.

Habits are funny things. They're so easy to make yet so hard to break. Although, I suppose the same goes for most things in life, like relationships and friendships. They sneak up on you and sometimes you realize that these things-- habits, relationships, friendships-- are not helping you, but hindering you. And when it's time to put an end to whatever it is that's hurting you, sometimes you think it would almost just be easier to hold on to it for just a little longer. Acknowledge the problem, let it sit, and single-handedly ruin any shot at progress you may have had. Such is life. Hard.

Lately I've been on quite the healthy kick, and I notice myself going through this same kind of cycle. Monday through Thursday I'm so on top of everything. The exercising, the eating, the "mental breaks." And then Friday hits and between hanging out with friends, being bored and what not it all seems to just get thrown out the window. Being healthy has been something I've struggled with for as long as I can remember. I wasn't born into a family genetically blessed with high metabolisms, and I've come to accept that. But it bothers me so much at the same time.

This is where habits come in. Over the course of 20 years, I've developed eating and exercise habits that are less than perfect. Granted, they've gotten significantly better as I've gotten older, but nonetheless it's a struggle. Some days it's easy, and some days it just seems like the hardest thing in the world-- to get myself to the gym or to choose the salad over the sandwich. Last night I was searching all over Pinterest for some kind of inspiration to re-inspire me to get back on the path I was on just three days ago, then I realized the only thing that could inspire me, was me.

Breaking old habits has got to be one of the hardest things in the world. And I'm not just talking about breaking away from an unhealthy lifestyle. I'm talking about the boy you always run back to when things go wrong, or the desk load of work you dive into as some kind of distraction from the mess that is your life (or so it seems). We all have our ways of coping, but are they healthy?

I have this (other) bad habit of convincing myself that I'm not deserving of some of the things that my friends have. I won't go into details, but I've had to work the hardest on this habit in order to overcome it. It's taken so long (so so so long) to break through the barriers where this feeling of unworthiness was coming from. And the thing is, until someone pointed out to me that I had a habit of doing this, of validating my own belief that I wasn't enough, I had no idea I was even doing it. I didn't have a clue of just how unhealthy of a state my mind was in.

"Some days there won't be a song in your heart. Sing anyway."

We all have bad habits. We all have our days. We're all human. There are so many ups and downs and twists and turns in life that it's no wonder the fair majority of us feel like we're wandering around like chickens with our heads cut off! I never realized just how insane I felt on a day to day basis until I took the time to acknowledge and reflect upon the habits that, in the end, were contributing to that feeling of instability and insanity.

I'm so happy with life right now I don't know what to do with myself. Of course there are days where I'm less than thrilled to have to get out of my warm and cozy bed, but those kinds of days tend to be the ones that surprise me the most. Shifting one's focus from the negative to the positive, from a bad habit to a better habit, can make all the difference in life. Take into consideration habits you feel could be hindering you and your success, and think about how you can tweak them just enough to not throw your whole week off balance. It's about baby steps, right? Doesn't slow and steady win the race?

xoxo