I am not much of a coffee drinker (but – don’t let me run out of Diet Coke… ever!) so I can relate to those who absolutely must have their {insert highly addictive caffeinated beverage here] to get their day started on a productive, positive and … dare I say “sane?” note. My husband is a serious coffee drinker who imbibes in highly leaded black coffee all day every day. So, when our coffee pot went out this weekend, we were shopping for a new one before the sun had a chance to dry the morning dew.
Since this was the second pot to die on us in the two and a half years we’ve lived in this place, my husband decided to try plugging the new pot in a different spot. Mind you, it’s only on the other side of the stove from where the old one was, but the past two days have been rather comical as I watch him get used to this small change – especially early in the morning when he starts to make his first pot. He habitually steps to the old coffee pot spot, and at one point he nearly poured a carafe full of water all over the empty countertop. Even later in the day, reaching for another cup, he’ll step to the old spot and stand there for a second or two with a dumfounded look until he remembers the new pot is now one more step to the left.
Observing his having to create a new habit adjusting to his coffee pot spot makes me think of advice I’ve seen quite a bit – that one can create a “habit” by practicing a new behavior for thirty days. This teaches your brain to automatically cue the behavior without having to consciously think about it. Several times, I’ve started these 30 day brain training exercises, but I’ve never been able to make it the whole 30 days. I think, even though 30 days is not a long time, it seems like forever to me when imagining my impatient self with this new positive habit.
Seeing proof of this theory in my husband’s coffee habit reinforces in me that it is possible, so how do I make myself do this for 30 days? I think I’ll try some advice I learned many years ago when working with addicts: ”one day at a time”. I will simply not worry about the next 29 days. In fact, I don’t even think I’ll keep track. I’ll just set myself up a reminder, maybe in several places (Outlook, cell phone calendar, a sticky on my bathroom mirror, and maybe another on my laptop).
My new habit? I’m going to leave something on my plate at every meal. I am always taking more food than I need to fill me up, then feeling like I have to finish it even if I am already full. So I will start small and leave something, at least one bite, on my plate. I can do that for one day.
Would you like to join me for a day? What new habit would you like to start? Don’t worry. I won’t hold you accountable. This is a deal between you and your own brain just for one day. You can decide about tomorrow some other day.
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