Cat Tales: Miscellany and Mischief

July 19 (30DBC)

July 19 30DBC Prompt: How do you effectively make a change in your life or in anything you do? (i.e. a habit, a routine, a system, etc)

That's a really good question. The key word there is 'effectively.' You can make all sorts of changes to your life, but in order to be effective, to produce the good you desire, and to become a regular part of your life, certain things need to happen (at least for me).

First, you need to evaluate if the thing is really going to bring about the good you desire. Is it a band-aid for a bigger problem? Is it just one more thing to add to your plate (and your plate's already full to overflowing)? These are the questions you need to ask yourself before adopting any new change.

Second, once you've decided that yes, this thing is going to help you and not be a detriment to your life, you have to come up with an action plan. How are you going to implement it? When? With who? How? Where? All the concrete details need to be nailed down as much as possible. Otherwise, you'll just be spinning your wheels, daydreaming about the change, maybe even researching ways to put it into practice, but not really doing anything.

Third, once you've come up with a plan, and you've fit it into your life, IMPLEMENT IT. That means (and I'm talking to myself primarily here), get off your hind end and actually DO IT. Don't make excuses. Fight off the temptation to be lazy. If you forget to do the thing, try again the next day. Keep trying until it becomes a habit, and you won't have to think about it so much anymore.

It requires a lot of diligence and willpower, especially in the beginning. Be patient and allow the habit to form over time. That's the only way it's going to stick permanently and do the good it's meant to do.

AlyCatAuthor