Week 126
Positive post Sunday, July 14, 2019- Week 126.
Have you ever thought about the relationship between a habit and a goal? According to Farnam Street Brain Food #324, “Habits vs. Goals: A Look at the Benefits of a Systematic Approach to Life”, we all set goals in our lives but it’s the habits, or algorithms operating in the background, that power our lives and help us achieve our goals. Here’s the link, https://el2.convertkit-mail.com/c/xmu2w4dz0kh6hn4rpeh5/reh8hoh3wkgz70/aHR0cHM6Ly9mcy5ibG9nLzIwMTcvMDYvaGFiaXRzLXZzLWdvYWxzLw==
This is an insightful article that reminds us that simply setting goals does not provide any assurance we will achieve them. By establishing thoughtful and positive habits, we can set the foundation for the achievement and sustainability of the goals we set. This is a refreshing and positive perspective on habits, as many people associate habits with bad habits. Those that know me well in both my personal and professional life, know that one of my mantras is creating good, healthy and spiritually enriching habits vs focusing on the bad habits many of us have. We, as human beings, all have habits. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying we are all “creatures of habit”. It is my belief that it’s just as easy to create good positive habits as it is to create bad ones.
Here is one of my many personal examples of setting a goal and creating a foundational habit that will one day help me achieve my goal. Writing a book has always been on my bucket list (THE GOAL), especially since, as my mom will attest, my writing skills were severely lacking in my younger years. Thank you, mom, for spending countless hours late at night correcting virtually everything I tried to write in elementary and middle school. You have been my inspiration to write. Sometimes our biggest challenges in life lead to our greatest ambitions, and so it has been with writing for me.
As suggested by Farnam, the best way to achieve a goal, in my case writing a book, is to create a habit that will drive you toward your goal. Writing a book seemed like such a monumental task, and although I knew I was frustrated with all the negativity in the world and therefore wanted to write about something positive, I didn’t know how to start. One day, Sunday, February 17, 2017 to be specific, after seeing so many negative posts on Facebook and wanting to do something positive for Lent, I decided to start writing a positive post each week (THE HABIT). My first post was very simple and short, a quote from Walt Disney, “If you believe in something believe in it all the way”. Little did I know that I would be sitting here on Sunday, July 14, 2019 writing my 126th consecutive Positive Post Sunday. I now have a foundation for my book titled, “Positive Post Sunday, A Lenten Journey” which I have begun to write.
What “good” and “positive” habit will you start today to achieve a goal on your bucket list?