Patience is required

Why is it so hard to pick up good habits, but so easy to pick up bad ones? When trying to introduce something new to your preexisting routine, there is something pushing back. It’s like the mind refuses all that is new, especially if this means you need to take action.

You have analyzed the situation and decided that picking up this new habit is good for you, it will improve your life. Still, when it comes to doing it, you find reasons and ways to avoid action. Over time, somehow, you picked the bad habits with no effort on your side, but by now they are taking much of your time and your energy, so, you have decided that something needs to change.

What you failed to understand is that changing how you do things is going to take time and effort. You will need to pay attention to what you are doing, and every time you’ll start heading for the old path, change direction toward the new one.

In the beginning, you will always be tempted to go into your old ways because they seem familiar, while the new ways are not. Discipline and will are the only allies you have on this journey, but be advised, they are not always available, and they are not infinite.

In the end, there is only one simple, but not easy, choice that you have to make in every situation “are you going to be your friend, or  are you going to work against yourself?”

All your life you’ve been pushing for things to go your way. Aren’t you tired? Don’t you want to let things unfold in their own rhythm?  Yes, it is difficult to trust the process, but at the same time, all that pushing gets counterproductive at a certain point.

You are supposed to take action in the beginning and push when is necessary, but there will be times when patience is required, and trust. The actions you take, start a process, and this process has a flow to it. No matter how much you try, certain stages will take more time and resources than you want them to.

The outcome you are looking for will not come faster only because you push for it. In fact, all that pushing might cause you to get stuck. Once you are stuck, it’s time to think differently. Take a moment to breathe, and calm yourself down.

Now, look at the place you’ve been trapped in. What can you see? Brute force will not work this time, that’s what got you here in the first place. Don’t be afraid to go back a few steps. A loss in progress might be the price to get unstuck.

Next time, have patience. After you get things moving, and into a rhythm, take a moment to look at them from a distance. Doing so will make it obvious if you still need to push, or you can relax and let things grow naturally.

There is no continuous growth in the same environment, so, soon enough you’ll need to push again, but for now, let things be.