Sitting out on the patio in the gathering dusk. My mug of chai is empty, and the only illumination now is the screen, and the sandalwood mosquito sticks I’m burning in a possibly-vain attempt to keep the little blood-suckers at bay. It seems they find me tasty.
One of the steps I’ve taken towards my goals this year is to track them using a piece of software on my phone called The Habit Factor. The theory is that one of the elements that makes up achieving a goal is that small habits over time add up to big results, but if you don’t track the small habits, they’ll get away from you. I review the list of habits I’ve set a couple of times a day, and I’ve been doing this for a week. So far, it seems to be working.
Looking back, it seems to me that I’ve had major struggles in the past with any kinds of goals in part because I haven’t written them down, and that I’ve tried to eat the elephant in a couple of big bites. Now I’m taking tiny bites, but I’m taking them regularly. I’m also allowing myself permission to allow things to take time, and I’ve also given myself permission to fail sometimes. I’ve not allowed myself these simple things before.
A wise man pointed out to me last week that the past is past, and there’s nothing you can do to change it. In 2010, I’m going to practice leaving the past behind.
I’m also trying to blog more… and I’ve given up caffeine.
I’m testing a little theory. I’ve been consuming considerable amounts of caffeine daily since I was in my early teens. I was retroactively diagnosed as suffering from depression very early in my adult life (with good reason). I wonder whether the two may be connected. I have no proof, but I want to see if reducing my caffeine intake affects my moods. I’ve switched to tea, and chai as replacements, vs my daily espressos and plunger coffees (and don’t start on the urban myth that there’s more caffeine in tea than coffee – proof, yo!).
And now I’m off to watch movie #1 of 52 – Jaws