Guilt Busters: Creating Roadblocks is Good?

There are habits that I've formed over the years that I have chosen to replace with new, more beneficial habits. That's the best way to get rid of a habit you don't like. Don't try to break the habit, create a habit that counteracts and overcomes it.

Here's a simple example that some might find a bit odd-- but it works for myself and my family. We set the table after we eat.

You read that right, your eyes are still working. We don't set the table before we eat, we set it after we eat, prepared for the next day.

What possesses us to do such an odd thing? It's because doing so is a roadblock against clutter for our family.

When my husband or I come home, both of us have gained this habit of putting things on the dining room table. The unfortunate outcome of this is that it makes it a lot easier to simply go in and sit down in front of the TV... where there's not only a clear space, but a distraction from the mess on the table.

But now, since the table is always nicely made up (sans glasses), when either of us go to put something on the table, we are immediately reminded of what the table is for-- it's NOT a catch-all spot!

This simple decision, while odd on the surface, has changed our life for the better. The reminder of the proper use of our table, and how much we have enjoyed that use, helps keep us from a habit that both of us rather wish we'd never formed.

So while technically one habit may be broken, the secret key to doing so was creating a new habit that was a roadblock to the old habit.

Be creative in creating roadblocks for yourself. Don't let what other people might think of you get in the way of creating habits that aid you in creating the life and environment you want. I mean, who sets the table after they eat and lets their dishes sit out all day?

I do. And if others think it's crazy, that's okay with me. Because I'm happier setting the table after I eat than I am with a cluttered, unusable dining room table.

And isn't that what it's all about, being happy?












~ Livin' the Rhythm with Kimberly Weston