Why Is It So Hard To Be Good?
Since I returned from my break I had set an intention to spend less time on social media. If I am being totally honest, I thought it would be an easy habit to break. During my trip, it was a no-brainer; I never even wanted to look at social media. I had the sound of the waves, long walks on the beach, and the company of good friends to distract me.
Fast forward two weeks, real life is kicking back in and I have gradually found myself spending more and more time on social media.
When I caught myself I immediately realized this is not how I want to be spending my time.
Habits are hard to break and new ones are hard to create. One great example of this that we are all familiar with is New Years resolutions. In January of every year, gym memberships increase by 12%. But by February most people have lost their mojo and stop going to the gym.
Why is it so hard to do things that we know are good for us?
Often, it is because we have bitten off more than we can chew. When we start, we feel inspired and we set a lofty goal. The goal is too big and too vague; it is hard to see progress and we inevitably give up.
In my example, regular day to day life put me back in my old habit of jumping on social media and getting sucked in. When I caught myself I realized that I had to set a smaller goal so I could actually achieve it. My new goal was to notice. All I had to do was notice I was on social media and then I could ask myself; Is this how I want to spend my time?
The act of noticing was doable. In fact, I was excited about it. My meditation practice asks me to notice my mind while I am sitting so this would be bringing my meditation practice into my daily life. Every time I noticed that I was on social media and asked myself if this was how I wanted to spend my time, I started to feel more successful. In the act of noticing I was able to realize I had better things to do with my time and I could easily jump off of social media.
Noticing isn’t always easy but it is something that I knew I could do. Once I notice then I have a choice, I can stay on social media or I can choose to do something else with my time. At the end of the day it is all about the life I want to create for myself.
When you want to create a new habit you have to start off by figuring out what the smallest change you can make is. It has to feel so easy you know you will have a win. From those small successes you can continue to add until you have created the habit you want.
Need help creating new, sustainable habits? Let’s chat! Shoot me an email for some support and accountability.