Max Ogles wrote on Medium that it’s because the habits are generally not enjoyable. The thing is, most people set out to master good habits, not to maintain them. Simply stating it, maintaining good habits is the unenjoyable part, not necessarily the habit itself.
We go into goal-setting with a subconscious acknowledgment that there are a million good habits that we should have, but don’t. Once we’ve developed one good habit, we begin to see all the other good habits we’re missing.
Moreover, and quite plainly, we gain more pleasure out of turning something into a habit, of moving forward than of maintaining the habit. The reason that good habits don’t last is we’re no longer moving toward something. We’ve stagnated. We’ve began standing still. People die standing still.
When you’ve developed your good habit, you’re left with two options.
1) You can choose to start practicing a new good habit. (This will happen regardless, unless you choose the next option.)
2) You can slightly shift your good habit.
It’s one thing to exercise each day, but once it becomes mechanic, repetitive, unenjoyable, you can switch up the type of exercise. Strive to build a habit of boxing daily instead of running. This way you maintain the benefits exercising and retain the pleasure of striving to acquire a new habit.
By all means, follow Ogles advice to learn how to enjoy any habit, but know that stopping a good habit isn’t a bad thing so long as you’re on track to starting a new good habit.
Stay Positive & Keep Trying Different Good Habits Until You Find The Ones That Work For You
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