All right, it's that time of year, where we make easily broken resolutions after regretting that extra helping of Christmas dinner, or the New Years Day hangover, or that unfortunate incident with
Bob,
Steve and
Alex from Sales, on the photocopier at the office party. This year we are going to lose weight, get fit, stop doing bad stuff and finally get our lives on track. A New Year, a new start, something exciting!
Don't be dumb. It won't happen and you know it. None of your other resolutions from previous years succeeded. By the end of January you were back as you were, with the faint odor of shame and guilt that you couldn't last one freaking month. Why should this year be different?
After all, your bad habits are simply that. Habits. Things you do when you are not really paying attention. And since you have an average attention span of 9 seconds, thanks to the net and TV, you never really pay attention to anything at all. Stuff happens and you don't even notice.
Personal example: When I write, I smoke. It is a disgusting habit, and one I control in all other situations. One I should give up completely, I know. Yet somehow, in the time it took me to write the first two paragraphs, a lit cigarette appeared in my mouth, and was half finished before I even noticed it. Habit took over. I don't even remember lighting up. I was thinking about something else.
Retraining yourself is hard. Obsession can help. It helped this guy run 52 marathons in 52 weeks, after all. But, you know what? Obsession is really, really boring. Just listen to any new parent for 5 minutes, or any serious gamer for 5 seconds. Who wants to talk to someone with a one track mind? No one at all, that's who.
Habit is the enemy. Attack it. Kill it with fire. You'll not succeed in changing your life without that. Sadly, science says you'll never manage to do that. Habits always come back.
Sorry about that.
Have a good party and a futile New Year.