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10 Unbeatable Tips for Overcoming Micro-Addictions

The chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken. - Samuel Johnson

Article by Zen Habits contributor Jonathan Mead.

What are micro-addictions? They are those annoying little habits that prevent you from living the life you truly want. They are small enough to go unchecked, but bothersome enough to get in the way of you living your fullest potential.

They are…

The inability to stop checking your email 10 times a day, when you could be making progress toward building your own business.
The frustrating habit of seeking approval from other people when you know that you should trust your own instincts.
The deceptive habit of using television as convenient entertainment, rather than participating in life.
The addiction to having everything figured out in advance. Instead of going for what you want, you commit to thinking about it a little longer; possibly for the rest of your life.

These are the unwanted minutiae in our lives. A couple of these annoying little habits are not enough to make much of a difference. One or two wandering bits of algae in the sea doesn’t make too much of an impact. It’s when this undesirable flotsam becomes a cloud that our lives are compromised.

So how can we battle these little micro-addictions, these tiny thorns in the side of our personal development?

While by no means am I perfect, these are a few things that have helped me.

Do your best. Realize that your best will be different depending on the time of the day, and how much energy you have. Whatever you’re doing, simply do your best. This will help you overcome playing the victim with yourself and seeking back into self pity. Self pity fuels the cycle of repeating what you’ve always done. If you stay in the realm of self pity, your feeling sorry for yourself will make you feel like you’re helpless to change your situation. Always do your best and avoid playing the victim.
Chip away. The hardest part about changing habits is that they’re a pattern. We’re comfortable doing what we have always been doing. Even though we aren’t necessarily happy with what we’re doing, it’s more comfortable following the same pattern than breaking it. Much of this is because we get intimidated trying to make drastic changes. Overhauling your life will never be accomplished in a single day, so just take it easy. Take it one day, or hour, at a time if you need. Commit to changing your habit for just today.
Build momentum. A lot of people will tell you to thing big, act small. Thinking about the big picture is important, but if we want to building momentum, we need to think small and act big. By thinking small, we’re able to mentally digest the changes we want to make. By thinking small and acting big, we can commit for a short period of time and put all our energy into that commitment. Then we can build momentum on mini-milestones.
Change your environment. Typically, the easiest way to create a new habit is to change our environment to reinforce it. If you want to start practicing yoga daily, set your yoga mat out every night, so you see it when you first wake up. Subscribe to yoga related blogs; print yoga photos and put them up around your room; get a screensaver of your favorite yoga poses, etc. The more triggers we have in our environment that enforce our habit, the less work your mind has to do to make you believe it’s going to be a habit.
One thing at a time. This isn’t something new that you’ve never read on Zen Habits. But so many people get gung-ho about a total life makeover, they try to do everything at once. They get excited; they want to change their diet, exercise habits, social life, career, values, etc. They put all their energy in as many directions as possible. Then what happens? It fizzles. It’s like a chef getting excited about the possibility of a hundred different flavors, so she adds them all. The end result turns into an incomprehensible mess. Focus on mastering one thing at a time. You’ll thank yourself later.
Be persistent. Persistence is the enemy of the rut. The only thing between where you are now and where you want to be is really persistence. If you can develop the ability to be highly persistent, you’ll succeed where others give up. It’s in failing many times and getting back on your feet that you make progress.
Reject perfection. We have a tendency to put things off endlessly, because we’re afraid of imperfections. This is pretty silly. If your dream is to become a master pianist, wouldn’t you have rather tried and failed than not tried at all?
Do some value work. Staying aligned with my values is something that’s helped me stay motivated toward breaking micro-addictions. If you don’t know what your values are, simply ask yourself what’s most important to you. Take a moment to think about it, but don’t think to hard. Go with your gut and whatever comes to mind first. My top values are authenticity, clarity, and balance. When I’m doing things that aren’t aligned with my values, I’m unhappy. When I’m closely aligned with my values, though, I feel fulfilled. If you can keep your values in mind at all times, it makes making the right decision much easier.
Be content. We often get so caught up with improving our lives and achieving our goals that we forget to be content. The truth is, if we don’t take the time to appreciate things the way they are now, we’ll most likely resent personal development. By having gratitude and contentment, you’ll reinforce your will to grow. It’s a lot more motivating when you know that you will actually appreciate the achievements you have made, rather than only focusing on your shortcomings.
Stop thinking. How much time do you spend thinking about what you really want to do? How much of your life do you spend daydreaming about the life you want to lead, rather than just living it? It’s amazing how much fear of failure and fear of the unknown can hold us back. But wouldn’t it make more sense to spend all that energy taking physical steps toward your goals, rather than imaginary ones? I think we could all do with a little less thinking and a little more doing.

I think the most important part of attempting to break these little micro-addictions is that we keep in mind where they are coming from in the first place. Usually we’re preoccupying ourselves with these dead-end pursuits because we’re trying to avoid something. We fear if we really focused on doing what we want, we might actually achieve it. In the end, we fear our own awesome power. That’s insanity.

Stop selling yourself short. Embrace your greatness.

Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go. - William Feather

This article was written by Zen Habits contributor Jonathan Mead of the Illuminated Mind blog. Click here to subscribe to his blog.

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If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us, StumbleUpon or Digg. I’d appreciate it. :)

10 Unbeatable Tips for Overcoming Micro-Addictions

The chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken. - Samuel Johnson

Article by Zen Habits contributor Jonathan Mead.

They are…

The inability to stop checking your email 10 times a day, when you could be making progress toward building your own business.
The frustrating habit of seeking approval from other people when you know that you should trust your own instincts.
The deceptive habit of using television as convenient entertainment, rather than participating in life.
The addiction to having everything figured out in advance. Instead of going for what you want, you commit to thinking about it a little longer; possibly for the rest of your life.

So how can we battle these little micro-addictions, these tiny thorns in the side of our personal development?

While by no means am I perfect, these are a few things that have helped me.

Do your best. Realize that your best will be different depending on the time of the day, and how much energy you have. Whatever you’re doing, simply do your best. This will help you overcome playing the victim with yourself and seeking back into self pity. Self pity fuels the cycle of repeating what you’ve always done. If you stay in the realm of self pity, your feeling sorry for yourself will make you feel like you’re helpless to change your situation. Always do your best and avoid playing the victim.
Chip away. The hardest part about changing habits is that they’re a pattern. We’re comfortable doing what we have always been doing. Even though we aren’t necessarily happy with what we’re doing, it’s more comfortable following the same pattern than breaking it. Much of this is because we get intimidated trying to make drastic changes. Overhauling your life will never be accomplished in a single day, so just take it easy. Take it one day, or hour, at a time if you need. Commit to changing your habit for just today.
Build momentum. A lot of people will tell you to thing big, act small. Thinking about the big picture is important, but if we want to building momentum, we need to think small and act big. By thinking small, we’re able to mentally digest the changes we want to make. By thinking small and acting big, we can commit for a short period of time and put all our energy into that commitment. Then we can build momentum on mini-milestones.
Change your environment. Typically, the easiest way to create a new habit is to change our environment to reinforce it. If you want to start practicing yoga daily, set your yoga mat out every night, so you see it when you first wake up. Subscribe to yoga related blogs; print yoga photos and put them up around your room; get a screensaver of your favorite yoga poses, etc. The more triggers we have in our environment that enforce our habit, the less work your mind has to do to make you believe it’s going to be a habit.
One thing at a time. This isn’t something new that you’ve never read on Zen Habits. But so many people get gung-ho about a total life makeover, they try to do everything at once. They get excited; they want to change their diet, exercise habits, social life, career, values, etc. They put all their energy in as many directions as possible. Then what happens? It fizzles. It’s like a chef getting excited about the possibility of a hundred different flavors, so she adds them all. The end result turns into an incomprehensible mess. Focus on mastering one thing at a time. You’ll thank yourself later.
Be persistent. Persistence is the enemy of the rut. The only thing between where you are now and where you want to be is really persistence. If you can develop the ability to be highly persistent, you’ll succeed where others give up. It’s in failing many times and getting back on your feet that you make progress.
Reject perfection. We have a tendency to put things off endlessly, because we’re afraid of imperfections. This is pretty silly. If your dream is to become a master pianist, wouldn’t you have rather tried and failed than not tried at all?
Do some value work. Staying aligned with my values is something that’s helped me stay motivated toward breaking micro-addictions. If you don’t know what your values are, simply ask yourself what’s most important to you. Take a moment to think about it, but don’t think to hard. Go with your gut and whatever comes to mind first. My top values are authenticity, clarity, and balance. When I’m doing things that aren’t aligned with my values, I’m unhappy. When I’m closely aligned with my values, though, I feel fulfilled. If you can keep your values in mind at all times, it makes making the right decision much easier.
Be content. We often get so caught up with improving our lives and achieving our goals that we forget to be content. The truth is, if we don’t take the time to appreciate things the way they are now, we’ll most likely resent personal development. By having gratitude and contentment, you’ll reinforce your will to grow. It’s a lot more motivating when you know that you will actually appreciate the achievements you have made, rather than only focusing on your shortcomings.
Stop thinking. How much time do you spend thinking about what you really want to do? How much of your life do you spend daydreaming about the life you want to lead, rather than just living it? It’s amazing how much fear of failure and fear of the unknown can hold us back. But wouldn’t it make more sense to spend all that energy taking physical steps toward your goals, rather than imaginary ones? I think we could all do with a little less thinking and a little more doing.

Stop selling yourself short. Embrace your greatness.

Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go. - William Feather

Posted on 18 September 2008 in Finance & Family, Habits, Motivation, Simplicity |
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Comments (53)

JapanDave Says:

September 18th, 2008, 19:29 pm

Nothing new here… But your last point is an important one that bears repeating–in fact, it should also be your first one. Stop thinking so much! Stop thinking, stop fiddling with your system to make it perfect, stop looking for new ideas to do whatever you need to do, and just do it.

Overall a good list.

Ryan McLean Says:

September 18th, 2008, 19:35 pm

Building momentum is essential. Just like a blog builds momentum your life builds momentum. It starts out really hard but then as you start to get into the swing of things it becomes much easier and life becomes much better.
These are great points Leo…
Do you run any other blogs?

Ryan McLean Says:

September 18th, 2008, 19:36 pm

@ JapanDave - I like how you mentioned “Just Do It”. This nike slogan is so awesome and is so straightforward.
So many people learn but never implement what they learn. Really they should learn to JUST DO IT!

The Daily Minder Says:

September 18th, 2008, 19:52 pm

Well done. Really good post I’m sure will help a lot of people.

TDM

Your Friendly Neighborhood Computer Guy Says:

September 18th, 2008, 20:03 pm

Haha, that picture is a little disturbing. Very good article though!

Vered - MomGrind Says:

September 18th, 2008, 20:10 pm

“Usually we’re preoccupying ourselves with these dead-end pursuits because we’re trying to avoid something.”

True. Maybe not on a large scale for me (no fear of success here), but I most definitely tend to check my email when I am trying to avoid tackling a big project. Awareness helps.

Clay Collins Says:

September 18th, 2008, 20:22 pm

hum… micro addictions :-) great term!

Jonathan Mead Says:

September 18th, 2008, 20:44 pm

On a side note, Clay gave me the rights to the term Micro Addictions. (Thanks Clay!)

He also owns rights to such other terms as: Anti-Hacks and Being Unreal.

All kidding aside, thanks for the idea Clay. =)

Kena Says:

September 18th, 2008, 20:48 pm

I think your #4 point is so interesting - people often use travel as a catalyst for personal development. I love your suggestion that changing your environement can be done at home too to help spur the motivation to try something new.

Maura Says:

September 18th, 2008, 21:06 pm

Jonathon, I am not a blogger so I really don’t have any expertise, but from a reader’s perspective, I think one of the things that makes Leo’s posts on ZH really resonate is that he puts a bit if himself into each post, with appropriate boundaries. Let us get to know you…

Jayadeep Purushothaman Says:

September 18th, 2008, 21:07 pm

I am leaving a job today because I couldn’t see an alignment with my values with the company. But sometimes I keep wondering if it was the right thing to do, but reading this made me feel good - I am going with my gut!

Jonathan Mead Says:

September 18th, 2008, 21:14 pm

@ Maura: I’m doing my best at that. I think sometimes I have a habit of focusing on the topic of the article, that I forget to be a little more personally revealing.

@ Jayadeep: Congrats, that does take guts. I admire that.

Gene Says:

September 18th, 2008, 21:20 pm

I like #10. I’m one of those people who was addicted to thinking and i recently decided to stop. I call it over analyzing or over-introspection. I decided to lessen it and start acting on my ideas and living life.
Sometimes thinking doesn’t go anywhere, its best to just jump into the rabbit hole.

Kimberlee Says:

September 18th, 2008, 21:38 pm

Excellent post! I find that #2 resonates with me the most. I always check my email, social networks, website stats, etc. continuously, and I don’t get as much work done as I’d like. It takes a lot of concentration to keep me on the path to success.

Great points to consider. I need to incorporate these ideas into my daily routine.

"Motivate Thyself" Says:

September 18th, 2008, 22:00 pm

I’m hypoglycemic which basically means that when I eat too much sugar (or any simple carbs) I get a sudden burst of energy and then I crash. It takes me on a roller coaster ride of positive and negative emotions. And yet I have always had quite a big sweet tooth.

What I’ve found is that if you expect to quit one of these habits you have to put a stronger desire in the place of the desire to participate in the bad habit.

I found a way to link certain emotions to the sweets that were stronger and therefore pulled me in another direction that allowed me to stop the habit.

I went through the process in my head from the time I ate the sweets to the time I crashed and it went something like this…

1. Eat sweets.
2. Feel good and have a lot of energy.
3. Feel tired and sometimes anxious.
4. Loose all motivation to do anything worthwhile.
5. Feel like CRAP!
6. Try to eat something healthy to bring my blood sugar back to a healthy level.
7. Feel a little better and say “I won’t do that again”.
8. Eat sweets…

After I realized that this cycle started every time I gave into my sweet tooth, I gained a much stronger desire to NOT eat sweets. This is what helped me break this micro addiction.

Ryan McLean Says:

September 18th, 2008, 22:10 pm

Microaddictions is a great term. Not something you would usually describe as being a full ‘addiction’ but something that is still addictive that you don’t like…but on a smaller scale.
Great post

Fit Bottomed GIrl Says:

September 18th, 2008, 22:41 pm

I’m obsessed with checking the website’s traffic..it’s lame. lol. I’m going to try to check only once an hour, than two hours, than three…we’ll see how that goes. Because really, I’m content just creating!

J.D. Meier Says:

September 18th, 2008, 23:32 pm

I used to try to logic my way from one pattern to another. It didn’t work. I didn’t know why. Why not just do what makes *sense*? Because the new pattern didn’t *feel* good enough, or the old pattern didn’t *feel* bad enough.

Link a good feeling to the new pattern works for me.

So for micro-addictions, I’ll link micro-pain to the old, and micro-pleasure to the new.

Kurt S Says:

September 19th, 2008, 2:12 am

Great post, especially #10. thats been a big problem for me in my life. I’ve been thinking about starting my own blog for too long, so I’m gonna just dive in and do it. there are no posts yet, but there’s the URL anyways.

DanGTD Says:

September 19th, 2008, 2:14 am

I like #4, Change your environment.

The most effective way to make a consistent change, is to put conditions and systems in place so what you want to happen happens automatically.

Ice Rabia Says:

September 19th, 2008, 3:14 am

It is the picture that first got me… It was nice but a bit disturbing. Great post though. Highlighted some important thoughts… Stop thinking… Yes that’s true enough, if you stop thinking, you’ll stop worrying, then you’ll somehow stop some of the small addictions that trouble your life…

Gianni Says:

September 19th, 2008, 4:18 am

Great Post. I am sure it will help a lot of people…myself included!

satish Says:

September 19th, 2008, 6:51 am

Thanks, I got the answers I was seeking , was a bit down with a few things in life.

thanks once again.

cheers
satish

Pete Says:

September 19th, 2008, 8:18 am

Always a big fan Jon. I love illuminatedmind.net. I also like #10 (Stop Thinking). I think more people spend time thinking about what they should, or should not, do then they do just doing things. Great advice.

http://yinvsyang.com/

Erin Says:

September 19th, 2008, 9:19 am

“Stop selling yourself short. Embrace your greatness.”

Love that. You ought to have a T shirt made with that slogan. I’m totally going to quote it on my website, linking back to this article of course. I really love how I can come drop in and always find something relevant and helpful to read here. You do a great job and I appreciate it. =)

Lusy Says:

September 19th, 2008, 9:36 am

I like the term ‘Micro-addictions’ too! The quote at the beginning of the post is so true.

Of all the things you listed here, I’m interested on the last point. You said “I think we could all do with a little less thinking and a little more doing.”
I agree. I do need to stop thinking ‘too much’ - but I won’t give it up all together since it is still important to have a plan. So the key for me is to find a balance between thinking & doing. :-)

Nice post! Thanks!

QualityOf Life Says:

September 19th, 2008, 9:41 am

Great post. #3 and #5 and #10 could be actually executed through the (rightly) known method of David Allen’s “Getting Things DONE”, a true bible to personal productivity and balanced lifestyle.
If you happen to do a demanding job and still want some balance in your life I would welcome your contribution to http://www.qolfe.com.

Maria | Never the Same River Twice Says:

September 19th, 2008, 9:47 am

Micro-addictions - I think we used to call these things “bad habits” :-)

I do some group coaching and occassionally someone’s session starts to derail for various reasons. In those situations, I have found that often the most useful question you can ask someone is, “Is this helpful?” It’s like calling a time-out and giving the person space to reevaluate.

The same principle seems to apply when trying to shift behaviors. If you catch yourself checking your email for the 30th time this morning, pause, ask yourself, “Is this helpful?” and move on.

Todd S. Says:

September 19th, 2008, 10:43 am

Concise and well-written. Thank you.

Julie N. Says:

September 19th, 2008, 11:54 am

Such a powerful quote from Samuel Johnson. Awesome article and just what I needed to read today. I’ve been unfocused as of late and really need to remember Maria’s question “Is this helpful?” Thanks for the inspiration Jonathan!

Angel Says:

September 19th, 2008, 12:23 pm

Great post.

Another way to get rid of some of those micro-addictions?

1. Turn off the email notification device on your computer. Or set it to remind you of emails only every 1 hour versus every 15 minutes. This helped me tremendously.

2. Turn off the ringer on your phone when you’re ’supposed’ to be working. And put it out of sight so you don’t see the screen light up in your periphery. (smile)

These are easy changes we can all make to remain productive and fruitful.

Angel

Laurel Vogel at Ninth Elegy Says:

September 19th, 2008, 13:36 pm

I’d add a couple of things to your thoughtful list–which I see relies heavily on behavioral methods of change.

First, a person really has to look at the underlying emotional causes of addiction. What drives any compulsion is the pain that’s underneath it–the one an addictive behavior is trying to cover up.

Secondly, as we face our emotional issues (with a therapist or qualified person), it helps to have a regular meditation practice. Meditation practice helps us forebear through our mental machinations and see them more clearly–this carries over into our daily lives. Meditation will help you do step 10–stop thinking.

Nice post, Leo–as always you have so much to offer.

Laurel Vogel at Ninth Elegy Says:

September 19th, 2008, 13:40 pm

re: above: Sorry, not Leo, Jonathan–I missed the attribution!

Tiny Now Says:

September 19th, 2008, 14:45 pm

A few comments:

-Great post. These techniques would help someone with a real (macro?) addiction as well.

-”Be persistent” and “Be content” on the other hand, are good ideas but not good advice, because the “how” part of the equation is missing. If I could just “be” persistent or content…well then I wouldn’t have any addictions, micro or macro.

-I agree with you and Laurel Vogel when you stress the importance of looking for root causes. Eliminating or even just understanding the underlying reasons for a behavior can change it.

I also have a question. What is the difference between an addiction and a habit? A micro-addiction and a macro-addiction?

I have been struggling with this question for over 11 years. For seven of those years I thought that Addiction meant what the 12-steps said it meant: a disease that never leaves, only goes dormant, that can only be cured by complete abstinence from mood and mind altering substances. I abstained.

For the past few years I have been thinking differently.
Addiction is everywhere, but is perhaps something that is not so absolute…

or perhaps it is:

The little girl with the apple beer made me want a real one of my own.

In the true zen habits style, I’ve decided to quit drinking for 30 days. Nothing compared to 7 years, but accomplished under a less cut and dry definition of addiction.

Read about it or just wish me luck:

http://30daynephalist.wordpress.com/

Thanks.

Tiny Now Says:

September 19th, 2008, 14:46 pm

Geez. Sorry about that long comment!

jessyz Says:

September 19th, 2008, 17:59 pm

I was so inspired I turned it into my wallpaper. Thanx for an inspiring list.

Nick Says:

September 19th, 2008, 18:16 pm

Great post!!

I turned off email notification and told it not to check for email on startup. So i can get my MIT’s done (or at least 1) early in the day, and THEN check my emails…I’ve lost count of how many times i have been meaning to do something and then got lost in the emails…..

Also - I kept checking Zen Habits quite a few times at work - have removed it from my favourites (actually removed all personal bookmarks) so that I can check it in the evening instead - and get some work done!!!

#1 - agree about self-pity, gets you nowhere fast! good point, you can easily waste lots of time wallowing….

#4 - good tip about laying something out so you will be reminded to do it - otherwise it is easy to convince yourself not to do it!

#5 - one thing at a time - i’ve been guilty of that - wanting to change everything and achieving nothing! baby steps

#6 - stuck in rut - lost count of how many times i have ‘given up’ on trying something, just keep plugging away and you’ll get there!

#7 - perfection - VERY guilty of this - most things don’t have to be perfect - you can easily waste hours of your life trying too hard, it’s not worth it, it’s exhausting….

#9 - be content - VERY true - we could be satisfied with what we have - then we won’t be attached to getting more - which in turn attracts more…..

Kevin Franklin Says:

September 19th, 2008, 18:20 pm

So helpful. As a kid who had brain surgery and radiation last year, coming back to college has driven me to panic at the thought of falling behind everyone else my age (19), steps three and six were an inspiration to my day.

Thinking small and acting big dissolves a lot of anxiety regarding “catching up” with were I should be in terms of credit hours, health, and friends.

Keep up the fine work. A lot of people appreciate it.

Kevin Franklin Says:

September 19th, 2008, 18:22 pm

where, not were. hehe

DenGrom Says:

September 19th, 2008, 21:36 pm

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Все статьи будут размещены с фотографиями (по желанию) и краткими данными о журналистах.
(отличный шанс для создания собственного портфолио)

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The Daily Minder Says:

September 19th, 2008, 22:26 pm

What language is that?

harsla Says:

September 20th, 2008, 12:18 pm

Great Quote! I was just thinking about this the last couple of days, your posts often parallel the things that I ponder at my mundane job ;) , it is very helpful reading your tips, thanks for your insight!

Ken Burns Effect Says:

September 20th, 2008, 18:34 pm

Stop thinking!

According to ayur-veda garlic and mushrooms decrease the ability to transcend.

I think(!) I’ve lost the most of the ability to daydream since I started to eat half a garlic (4-6 cloves) daily.

Good for the immune system also.

Christopher Says:

September 21st, 2008, 11:43 am

Great Post.

max Says:

September 21st, 2008, 18:37 pm

masturbating? lol

Grace Says:

September 22nd, 2008, 0:16 am

Had not heard of the term, but I like it. I think I’d go for the art of the possible? Sometimes it may take more time to ‘get rid’ of a small bad habit than the trouble it is causing. As an analogy: I co-exist with a fair number of bugs, spiders, and other critters in my environment (including a lazy diamondback rattler that haunts my birdfeeder on occasion). My theory is that if they don’t bother me, I won’t bother them either. I feel the same way about microaddictions. I’m of the philosophy that you pick your battles, and I’d rather concentrate on the big ones rather than scatter what little spare time I have rounding up all the little doggies. :-) G.

John Henry Says:

September 22nd, 2008, 5:49 am

I enjoyed these 10 cool free tips.
Eben Pagan is doing a similar thing with Wake Up Productive, for only $297. I think.
He probably wont be covering micro-addictions though.
Well Done
Good Luck
John

Takumi86 Says:

September 24th, 2008, 13:58 pm

I like this tips and spend like 10 minutes in reading, was forgotten that i actually in your sites not mine, lol

anyway that tips #6 is the best word i’ve ever read, i get shiver when i repeatdly reading it :)

VEERABADRASARMA Says:

September 28th, 2008, 9:36 am

#1 - agree about self-pity, gets you nowhere fast! good point, you can easily waste lots of time wallowing….

#4 - good tip about laying something out so you will be reminded to do it - otherwise it is easy to convince yourself not to do it!

#5 - one thing at a time - i’ve been guilty of that - wanting to change everything and achieving nothing! baby steps

#6 - stuck in rut - lost count of how many times i have ‘given up’ on trying something, just keep plugging away and you’ll get there!

#7 - perfection - VERY guilty of this - most things don’t have to be perfect - you can easily waste hours of your life trying too hard, it’s not worth it, it’s exhausting….

#9 - be content - VERY true - we could be satisfied with what we have - then we won’t be attached to getting more - which in turn attracts more…..

CrackingDays.com Says:

September 29th, 2008, 22:04 pm

Hello. Regarding “Stop Thinking.” — I would just like to say to be careful with this. There’s nothing wrong with thinking about our goals. I believe that we should think and breathe our goals because the more we think about our goals, the nearer we get to them.

Local date places Says:

October 13th, 2008, 2:16 am

Regarding “7. Reject perfection. We have a tendency to put things off endlessly, because we’re afraid of imperfections. This is pretty silly. If your dream is to become a master pianist, wouldn’t you have rather tried and failed than not tried at all?”

This holds if YOU are trying to do something yourself, but what if you need to select among alternatives? For example, buying a laptop. You want the best laptop for you, but all choices lack something. So you keep deciding, and waiting for new models to appear etc.

Generally, this applies to any package-deal choice that has a significant “undo” cost. If you just go ahead and use software X for your company instead of software Y, but then realize that X sucks, the cost of reverting the decision can be very high.

Tara Bonner (Brown) Says:

November 26th, 2008, 14:59 pm

I came to realize that I had an addiction to Twitter, so I forced myself to stay off of it for 24 hours. It was hard, definitely. It helped me to realize what Twitter is good for, and the things I was forgoing when I was on it. I am curbing my usage of it, but it’s definitely an uphill battle. A friend said that it takes 21-28 days to form a habit. I have 26 days to go.

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