I am trying to change a “bad” habit. On the surface it doesn’t look like a bad habit but that is the way it is playing out in my day.
The habit I am trying to break is getting up in the morning, immediately looking at my phone and checking e-mail, Facebook, Words with Friends and Twitter. My rationale for doing this is that I will get it out of the way and then I can focus on the things I need to do. I had read that looking at these things, first thing, was not a good idea. I had seen the studies about it, I had heard testimonials about it, I had heard all the rationales for not looking at these things as soon as I woke up. Of course, I thought – I am different; this is what works best for me. Well, guess what? I’m not different. Everything I read, heard and saw was exactly right. Looking at email, Facebook, WWF and Twitter upon waking is a time sucker not a time saver. The other day I realized I was cutting my exercise short or totally out because I didn’t have enough time. I realized I was cutting my quiet time short or totally out because I didn’t have time. The things that are essential for my health and well-being were being cut short or totally eliminated because of the time I was spending looking at all my “stuff” online.
Today is the beginning of change. Today I had to intentionally not look at my phone. I had to intentionally get out of the bed, put on my walking clothes and go for my walk. I had to intentionally not look at my computer or phone until I had a few moments of quiet devotional and prayer. I could feel the pull of the phone and the computer. I could feel myself wanting to just go take a quick peek to see if so and so had returned my email, see what had happened on Facebook, see what Twitter had to say and see if my opponent had seen the mega point word I had scored on WWF. I knew what I could be doing but I chose to do what I should be doing.
This is a recurrent theme in my organizing and life coaching. I am constantly trying to help people do what they should be doing instead of what they could and have been doing. I am helping people think what they should be thinking instead of what they could and have been thinking. New thoughts, new habits…….all add up to a better and more purposeful life.
Now that I’m through with my walk, my quiet time and now my blog post, guess what I’m going to do now?