I like to read. Reading is more enjoyable than watching TV. After writing that I thought, why do I watch TV. I watch TV because it is a habit. It is a habit that is easy to do. We all do things that are easy to do. It is the path of least resistance. It is easy to spend time of Facebook. It is easy to eat candy when it is sitting in a bowl on the table. Which would you do? Eat M&M's out of a candy bowl on the table or got to the refrigerator, open up the veggie drawer, get an apple, wash it off, peel it, throw away the peel, and then finally eat it. Are we on the same team? Yeah, M&M's. What it the M&M's were in the veggie drawer and apples were in the middle of the kitchen table? You know what, an apple sounds good today.
I read the book Atomic Habits when I went to visit my son, Jeremy and his family on vacation. Jeremy told me it was a great book and that he was reading it a second time. I only had a couple days left on my visit so I started reading it. It was one of those books that I couldn't put down. I read the book in two day and still spent time with my family. The book talks about habits. Good and bad. We all have them but it helps to understand why we do what we do.
One thing that I thought was very interesting is attitude. If people ask we what my hobbies are that I enjoy, I could tell them I try to write songs. That is true. Sometimes I write partial songs, chorus's, boring songs, etc. This is the wrong answer. My answer should be, I am a songwriter. Songwriters write songs. If I tell everybody that I write songs then I will write more often because deep down I believe I am a songwriter.
You can go to so many areas of your life with this. I am a Christ follower instead of I am trying to be a Christ follower. I am a good Dad, instead of I am trying to be a good Dad. I am a runner, instead of I try to run more than I walk when I exercise. I eat healthy, except when I am eating M&M's. Maybe, I eat healthy when I hide or don't buy M&M's. What we tell ourselves is what we believe about ourselves.
If you get a chance you need to read this book. Atomic Habits by James Clear
#atomichabits #jamesclear