985 days ago I started forming the habit of writing every day. This was a tough habit to form, but given that I only needed to write for 10 minutes, I was able to make it a part of myself and something that nags at me until I have done it. Breaking this habit is possible still. It is only a few years young and is only now becoming a part of my nature. Other habits, ones that I have struggled with for years, are harder to break. Worst still, breaking habits requires a degree of dedication hat is difficult for anyone to muster.
I am overweight. I am not fat, mostly, but I am larger than I should be. 213 lbs at last check, which is 15 more than I desire and at least that much heavier than I can be and still be a functional football player (we won’t talk about the damn drops over the last few weeks. I am taking a week off to get my head right). Getting in better shape means breaking several habits. I would need to monitor what I eat, which I do not. Make healthy food a priority, which I don’t. Be diligent about exercise, which I struggle to even care about at this point.
The point is that I understand why people cannot get back in shape. It isn’t just one thing. It requires the disassembly of several habits that created the conditions for poor health. Each habit builds on the next and the way we are taught about getting healthy is to attack all the poor habits at once. I cannot see how that is effective. I think a smarter solution would be to identify the individual habits that combine to form the negative behavior. Work on one habit at a time, in a reversal of the habit forming strategy (30 days at a time). Take care of the easiest first. If this can be done then you ca chip away at the problem slowly and maneuver towards a lasting success.