I honestly think that getting back into a habit after you’ve fallen off the wagon might be one of the hardest things to do. Well, after childbirth, obviously. And breaking up with a really nice person. And finding complimentary things to say to a middle schooler about their band concert. (“Great job ending the song at the same time as everyone else. And you didn’t break a reed this time! Really good work.”)
Okay, so maybe it’s not actually one of the hardest things, but it is extremely difficult.
It goes like this: you build a habit, say writing a weekly blog post or going to the gym three days a week. It’s going great, you feel good, and you’re getting compliments on your discipline and your new muscles or writing skills. It takes effort, but because it’s a habit, the effort is minimal. And then something happens. Maybe that thing is within your control, maybe not – like a schedule change that keeps you from the gym at your usual time, or a shift in your focus to finish writing a new novel instead of weekly blogs. But whatever it is, it throws off the Emperor’s Groove.
And suddenly, not doing the thing becomes the new normal. The habit is gone with the wind, a feeling you once had but can now barely remember.
You want to start again, but…how?? It feels even more difficult than it did to begin with, because now you are out of practice. What once felt easy and routine now feels foreign and awkward, like putting on someone else’s worn-in shoes.
So what do you do?
No, I’m really asking. What do you do?
Because so far, I only have one idea: start small.
Start with one trip to the gym. Start with one short paragraph. Start with one apple, one little kind word, one miniature step toward the thing.
Jumping back into the whole thing is not only incredibly daunting but unsustainable. You can’t just go back to where you used to be (bonus points if you hummed A Whole New World just then) because you’re simply out of practice. But you can start small, building back up minute, day, or week at a time.
That’s all I’ve got – the only suggestion I have.
What about you? How do you get back into a habit?
Because, if you can’t tell, I need help.
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