I started smoking in high school. It was ironic because I was also on the track team shooting to break the school record in the half-mile. The new record was not to be as my lung power decreased every day.
Still, I was in pretty good shape and vowed never to get out of it. It wasn’t until my 40s that I returned to running. Still a smoker, but a runner at heart. I thought ultimately my running would overtake my desire to smoke.
And so it was.
It was not easy. It could intentional planning and executing a strategy of change. But in the end, I overcame one addiction and developed another.
That’s how life can be. We often get beaten up or beaten down by bad things only to find new good things to replace them with.
The Power of Routine
The same goes for our daily routines. We find ourselves waking up blurry-eyed scanning our in-box to feed our addiction to be in the know.
We turn on the news to catch up on the latest disaster so we’re in the know about world events.
We make mental lists of everything that’s got to get done that day so we have a sense of direction and fill the need to have something to show for our efforts.
Is it any wonder that we’re finding ourselves further and further behind as the days go by?
Why I Run
So I decided to change things…and for good reason. First, I was approaching my 50th birthday. That was as good a mile-marker as ever to become an ex-smoker.
Second was life insurance. The premium rates for smokers was about 3X that of a non-smoker.
Third, was life assurance. I wanted desperately to see my daughters graduate, get married and start families of their own.
With this intense will to quit smoking, my running intensity also increased. The more conviction I had to stop smoking became the fuel to increase my conviction to run.
So I continued to run. But running in and of itself wasn’t enough for me. I needed something to boost my motivation. Out came the iPod. Perfect. Now I had company and the surprise of not knowing which song would come up next in the shuffle.
Still, I needed to know that I was improving. I needed a goal. Something in the future I could strive for.
So I signed up for a 5K race. That gave me the motivation to train, not just run. I envisioned the finish line and the sense of pride for having prepared and done my best that day.
Sequential Routines
My routine gradually grew to include some speed work at the track and some cross-training at the gym.
I found my conviction grow into an addiction. I became addicted to the feeling I got from training. I was addicted to the progress I was making by pushing myself just a little bit more.
My sleep was more efficient, so I didn’t need as much. My appetite grew, so I began making better choices about what I ate. My mind was clearer, so I was able to make better decisions.
But these all came from a gradual build-up of routines. To incorporate all of these tactics from day one would have been too much. Just one idea, one habit, one task day by day until you can create something that works for you
Life Gets in the Way
Of course, routines get interrupted. Not every day goes according to plan. And that’s OK. As a runner, we’re not supposed to run everyday. I still plan on it though.
I still pack my bag every day with the intention of running. When the unexpected comes up (which is becoming more “routine” these days—think about that for a second), then I can respond knowing that I’ll have gotten the training I intended when the week began.
If you’re wondering how to break a habit, it might be worth seeing what good habit you can form to replace it.
Be specific.
Be intentional.
Have an end game before you start.
You might want to post a picture of what life will be like when you engage in your new routine as a reminder of why you’re doing this in the first place.
For me, I want to be around—and healthy—for all those mile-markers of life. So I have pictures of my kids, pictures of distant lands and future destinations. And I even have a few race medals scattered around to show me how I’ll get there.
There are good routines and not so good ones. Pick one to replace and understand why you want the good one so much more than the “gratification” the bad one brings. You’ll delight in what’s possible.
Gip Erskine, CPM®, CCIM® is a 30+ year commercial property management veteran and the founder of EverSmarts™. Blending his MBA and industry experience with intense study of personal development, he trains property teams and individuals just like you. He developed a unique success curriculum calledChange Course designed specifically for property managers tasked with doing more with less. Through his teachings, Gip gets you past the state of overwhelm and helps you focus on what matters in your career and in your life.
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