If you repeat a task or routine a certain way often enough, you are bound to get quite good at it.
If you want to learn a martial art, you practice the movements until you are good at them. If you want to learn to start a business, you learn the steps and practice in your mind until you are ready to take the steps in real life.
Every day, we’re practicing something. We repeat movements, thought patterns, and actions. In this repetition, we are practicing. When you eat junk food, sit around instead of exercising, talk down to yourself internally, smoke or gamble, you are practicing to become good at those behaviors. Perhaps you’re already good at some of them.
But what if you practiced being the way that you want to be, instead of allowing mindless practice to train you to be good at something you don’t like?
What do you want to practice?
- Do I want to practice rushing through my morning, or can I wake a little earlier and simplify my morning routine so that I practice a slow, enjoyable morning ritual?
- Do I want to practice checking my inboxes when I first get to my computer, or can I do something better?
- Do I want to practice leaving dirty dishes out, or can I practice washing my bowl when I’m done with it?
- Do I want to practice leaving clothes strewn about, or papers lying on the counter, or can I take a few seconds to put them where they belong?
- Do I want to speak angrily to my kids or spouse, or can I speak to them with kindness and compassion?
- Do I want to practice complaining and self-pity, or can I practice gratitude?
- Do I want to practice rushing and being busy, or can I practice simplifying and going slowly?
- Do I want to practice eating fried foods, sugary foods, salty junk food snacks, fast foods … or can I practice eating whole foods, vegetables and fruits, nuts and beans and seeds?
- Do I want to practice surfing time-wasting sites, or can I practice clearing away distractions and creating?
- Do I want to practice watching mindless entertainment, or can I practice moving my body and exerting myself in activity?
- Do I want to practice smoking, or can I learn a healthier way to deal with stress?
- Do I want to practice shopping, or can I practice giving?
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