As I have stated previously, Labor Day is a day set aside for each of us to Labor all day. You get the day off from your normal work, and this is done so you can find other work to keep you busy all day long.
I have started my Labor Day by walking the dog. Completing that task, I am in front of the Ford’s ole computer laboring at this article. If I am able to complete this article, I will then head out and manicure the front yard. As you may see, I am attempting to keep the Labor Day Holiday spirit alive!
Now to a different subject:
I have been told, by my spouse of half a century, and others, that I can be annoying. Now many of these annoying attributes are due to habits I have developed over the years, such as making up words, or just making odd noise when I am doing normal things.
I have examined the validity of these comments and find them to be true. I personally enjoy my uniqueness, I understand that others do not. Thusly, I have set out in an attempt to stop, or at least reduce the annoying situations.
As Senior Fellow over Situational Reviews here at the Ford Homestead, I have appraised a few of the annoying situations and have learned, “They are HABITS”. With this information in hand, I have considered how one would change a habitual behavior.
First I needed to pick one of the habitual behaviors that I have identified, and address it fully. I chose one that would seemingly be easy to obliterate. I learned that when I am making a cup of real coffee, I make certain noises. With this one habitual behavior identified, I will eliminate said noise from the process of making of a cup of real coffee.
I intentionally headed to the coffee making area and began the process, all the time telling myself to be quiet. I was able to not verbally make any noise as I put together the cup of real coffee.
It was about 30 minutes later when I again approached the coffee making area and I again remember, “I was not supposed to make any noise”. About half way through the coffee making process I suddenly realized, “I was making noise”. How could this happen I thought, and then it came to me, “It is thoughts that distract me from the goal at hand”.
To change a habitual behavior one should stay focused on the needed change!
As I was making the second cup of real coffee my thought process changed from avoiding the noise, to what I was going to do later in the morning. As soon as I lost my focus, the old habitual behavior returned.
Now I can see that some of you have lost interest in this subject, while others believe that they can change a habit easily.
Here is a challenge!
I challenge you to change one habitual behavior. I have picked a habit that we all have, and each of you can address without too much mental effort, or can you?
First determine which shoe you put on first (left or right). For the next week, each time you put your shoes on, I challenge you to put the other shoe on first. That also applies to socks. At the end of the week let me know if you were able to, “Change your habitual behavior”!
Don’t attempt to fib to me about the results, and if I were a betting man, I would bet that you will give up attempting to alter the habit. I would also bet that out of habit you will not remember to try to change the habit.
Got to go now, the front yard awaits the man in manicure!
We do most things out of habit, make it a habit to like other people!
Senior challenger and manicurist at the Ford Homestead; Don Ford
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