Habits

Habit - a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.

The past two years, the primary focus of my goals for the IHC program has been to build little habits into my life.  The end goal is to live in effortless effort - you know the state Sifu Brinker talks about where you are rocking the world and getting it all done yet it requires no real effort on your part. 


I have realized in my quest to build these habits, that I really struggle.  I can do what I am supposed to do day after day but then something upsets the applecart and it's gone in a blink.  All of the practices I have been trying to put into place fall away so fast and I feel like I am back at square one.


I have put some thought into why this happens.  First of all, it is really easy to be lazy and not do what needs doing.  The other factor that I think has really been hampering me is that I have not actually built any real habits.  There are no real triggers to the activities I am trying to incorporate - that is except the time on the clock at the end of the day as I am trying to cram in as much as I can. 


I am so blessed to have the life I have.  I get to stay home and be a mom while also running a small business.  This lifestyle brings a different, crazy schedule each and every day.  When you look at my calendar, the only constant is that there is no consistency.  My days are busy and full but the habits don't seem to be forming.  The only constant feels like my driving route to the kwoon and my white knuckles as I try to plow through my days.  Yup, no effortless effort happening here - YET!

A couple weeks ago, Mr. Helm mentioned a book called The Power of Habit.  I have picked this book up from the library and have started reading it.  So far I am only part way into chapter one.  I am definitely looking forward to getting some insight into habit forming.