Building new habits means believing in yourself

Blogger: The Pound Slayer
Blog: The Pound Slayer

In the early days of bridge building, step one was to fly a kite from one side of a ravine to the other. Builders on the opposite side would catch the kite, ground it, and tie the end of the string to a slightly thicker string. The builders on the first side would then pull the new string across the ravine, tie an even heavier string to it, and reverse direction. This process continued until they had a cord, a rope, a chain, and eventually a steel beam across the ravine, strong enough to support the workers and their tools.

Two weeks ago I had very little faith in myself. I had terrible habits- overeating, sleeping in, neglecting my commitments- these habits bullied me, tossed me around like a rag doll. On the evening of Sunday, July 29^th my perspective changed.

I was talking to a friend about how hard it was to get into a healthy groove. Then I heard myself say something that triggered a paradigm shift: "Well I don't believe in myself anymore, so maybe if I promise you I'll go for a walk tomorrow morning, I'll actually do it."

I had broken so many promises to myself that I no longer had any faith in "me". (more after the jump)

I could keep a commitment to someone else, but I always let myself down. It's funny how the spoken word really puts gravity to an important issue. 

"I don't believe in myself," these words escaped my lips and hung in the air before my face, glowering back at me, a reckoning of my failures.

I did not go for a walk on that Monday morning, but I did make a serious effort to eat healthier, and I came up with The Plan. By Tuesday I finally lived up to my word and went for a walk. And I've been exercising every day since.

Building habits is like building those old bridges. My unhealthy habits were steel beams; they supported me, kept me safe. As for healthy habits, there wasn't even a tiny thread left to hang on to. With every attempt at dieting or exercise, I tumbled into the chasm. There was nothing there to hold me up.

On that fateful Sunday evening I flew a new kite across the ravine. For two weeks now I've been building a new bridge, one that is based on healthy eating, exercising, and living up to my obligations. Where broken threads once dangled over the precipice there are now strands of jute twine, soon to be nylon rope. Every time I face a temptation to deviate from The Plan, I am given an opportunity to add another thread to the rope, to strengthen my resolve, to believe in myself a tiny bit more.

As for the old steel beams of procrastination and overindulgence, they're still around. Admittedly, I stand on them for comfort from time to time, but they are eroding… slowly… slowly.

Whenever your resolve dwindles, try making tiny commitments to yourself. Then keep them. Then make slightly bigger commitments. Keep them, too.

Build a new bridge. Forge a new chain. Make a new rope.

But first of all, go fly a kite!