Embracing change
Life's all about changes.
Everything's changing all the time. We're changing all the time.
So, as I see it, we've got two options, either we ignore it or we take it into account.
I find this particularly important when setting my personal goals.
Every time I set a new one I ask myself: how can I stick with this when things change?
I usually focus on time and energy levels. When I'm running low on energy, how can I keep up? Or when life gets crazy busy?
What about when I'm off traveling? Out of home or stuck at work? What happens after my baby arrives?
Time and energy are my kryptonite. They break my routines faster than anything else in the world. And broken routines lead to failed goals. So, I always think of them while I'm trying to build a new habit. You might have some other challenges of your own, so take those in consideration instead.
I see myself setting unrealistic routine schedules when I'm highly motivated or on high energy. During those times, I feel like I could conquer the world after lunch and be back at home before dinner.
But in real life there are days that you just have too much going on. You're too tired, busy, distracted or just not feeling it - more or less everyone has days like this.
The internet will scream that you have to keep going, even if you're a half dead zombie sitting in the middle of the gutter.
I do not disagree with it entirely. Once you break a new routine, it's tough to pick it up again. But when it's solid, you won't be able to put your head to sleep until you've checked it off. So, yes, keeping the pace and being consistent matters a lot.
But unless your goal is to be an elite athlete, a top professional, or an artist who lives and breathes their work, there is no need to be so hard on yourself. Most of us can't keep that up.
So nowadays I plan my routines with flexible durations and different levels of intensity, so I can easily get them in my somewhat unpredictable schedule. This kind of reduces the chances of failing to complete them.
We're all human, after all. Planning things like we're invincible machines, unaffected by change, is possible, but only for a few - not me.
P.S.: If you interested in habit building I have another tip to share that as been working for me in a while. Nothing fancy, as I don't like complicated things - they're hard to follow. I'll share it next time.