So about seven weeks ago, coincidentally enough, I blogged about an app called 7 Weeks. It’s supposed to help build habits. So how’s that going?
I think I should have invested in the Cattle Prod app.
Don’t get me wrong! The 7 Weeks app itself is great. Easy to use, appealing, intuitive…the problem, as always, is me.
The free version tracks your habit for the titular 7 Weeks. I paid $1.99 for the pro version, knowing I was going to need more than seven weeks. And after those seven weeks, I can unequivocally say I was right–I needed it.
Probably I’m trying for too much at once. I didn’t just stick with the two habits I talked about last time, oh no. Not ME. That would be too easy! I stuck with writing every day. I altered “watch the money” to “update budget spreadsheet.” I added “clean kitchen.” And “at or under calorie goal.”
Most days I get one of them (clean the kitchen, generally. It’s the least mentally-challenging). Some days I get two! I’ve even gotten all four once or twice, but definitely not more than that.
As I see it, there are a couple reasons for my less-than-stellar performance here:
- I take on too much. Always. Instead of one habit at a time, I went for four. I’m also doing these while I take a three college classes (two of them only one credit each, but still!) work full-time, and continue my adventure-seeking in the great outdoors. (For my birthday I gave myself hiking poles and a hydration backpack. Stay tuned for more tales of intrepid wandering!)
- There’s no cattle prod setting on the app. I’ve proven over the years that punishment doesn’t really work (on me or my kid, and they’re figuring out that it’s not a great thing period) but a poke to get moving would sure be useful.
- I’m a great big lazy self-indulgent chicken. I don’t want to face what I’m doing with my money. I don’t want to work on my writing every day. I don’t want to not eat that cupcake some evil human brought to my work! (I don’t want to clean my kitchen either, but at least cleaning the kitchen shows immediate results! It’s the delayed gratification thing that undermines me.)
So here I am. Seven weeks later, and I’ve done some things a few more times than I might have otherwise. We’re almost through February and I’m still very confused by this 2016 thing. My birthday was Sunday and I’m more than a little thrown by this forty-six thing. When I was a kid, forty was old, and I’m still a kid so forty-six is really old, right? Except I don’t feel old…
Maybe “old” is like “normal” and there’s no such thing. Some of us have successfully circumnavigated the sun a few more times than others, but we all always have more to learn, so it’s not as important as it might seem.
Anyway. Habits. I shall push on with my habit-building, and update you all at some future point. In the meantime, I will leave you with this inspiring lady who clearly isn’t worried about “old.” (In case somehow someone hasn’t shared it with you already!)
Hugs. I feel you on that one. I often try to do too much, too, and then feel hideously unproductive when I don’t do it all. It’s a sucky thing. I will check out that app, though. Might be helpful for me.