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Establish New Habits Gently
Set New Habits Gradually
Since quitting my accounting job to be a writer more than 7 years ago, I’m proud of myself for the growth and change I’ve implemented. It didn’t start well, though. In the beginning, I spent a lot of time sleeping, playing mindless computer games, reading, and generally being unproductive. I stayed up late watching TV, then slept until 10 or later in the morning, which I’ve since decided is a waste of the day.
Meanwhile, I wrote a few blog posts here and there, participated in a month-long blog-writing challenge, and joined 2 more NaNo’s which produced my 2nd and 3rd novels-in-progress. I also finished the first and second drafts of my memoir. Yet my life lacked structure. Or did it?
I got up every morning, wrote my morning pages, put in my contacts, fed the cats, and made breakfast. I didn’t see it as any kind of structure at the time, but in hindsight, it was my first baby steps. After awhile, I added thrice-weekly trips to the gym which meant getting dressed, and even showering a few times a week. As time went on, I added more and more tasks to my daily routine until, even on my worst days, I still got certain things done.
