On Christmas day, I reset.
I reset my streak of planning daily. I hadn’t missed a day in over two years.
And on Christmas day, 2018, I forgot to plan the day.
I could make excuses, fudge a little, act like it didn’t happen. But it did.
And that’s ok.
My streak has been reset.
Some things I’ve learned, since then:
- It’s not the end of a habit.
The fact is that after two years of daily planning (and many more before that), it’s just part of who I am. One missed day couldn’t change that if it tried.
Habits that are part of your identity take a lot more work to kill off.
- Resetting can be a good thing.
Obviously, I’m not happy about the reset. Bragging rights have been lost.
But.
Habits, even those that are part of your identity, can become stale.
And missing a day made me much more aware of how I actually create my daily plan.
That awareness brought new life to the habit. If I’m smart, I can use this to springboard to a more conscious, fully present practice of daily planning.
- It’s not the only habit.
It may not even be the most important one, even though it’s foundational.
I have other habits that are part of my identity.
I have others that I’m trying to make part of my identity.
In some ways, the most important habit to make happen is the one that is the furthest from being a habit.
Honestly, I could miss a day, or two, or ten, and daily planning would still be a key part of who I am.
But taking time each day to write, and share what I write, will have a bigger effect right now, exactly because its not yet part of my identity. If I stick with it, I can change who I am.
Sticking with daily planning doesn’t change who I am, it’s just an expression of who I am.
Important? Yes. But not as important as making real improvements.
I can’t rest on the laurels of past change, or I’ll just be stuck where I’m at now.
So, here’s to a reset.