BabyStep Your Way to Routines

Dear Friends,

For several years I have been telling you that our new habits don't form over night; that it takes time to establish your routines. They don't happen just by osmosis. You have to practice them daily.

We are sidetracked. It takes us a little longer to develop our routines, so we can run on auto-pilot. This is why routines are so efficient. We don't have to think, we just do without having to put our mind around it and talk ourselves out of doing. We all know about those excuses we make in our heads; I can do that later, I don't have enough time to do it right! I like to call this stinking thinking.

Psychologists tell us that it take 21 days to establish a new habit. I feel that if we do the same thing every day for a whole month, we are well on our way toward our goal. It doesn't matter if it is exercise or making your bed. We all know that it is next to impossible for us to do something for thirty straight days. So we factor in ten more days for good measure, throw out the guilt for missing a day and after a month you have done it enough for the habit to stick! I am so proud of you!

My routines took me almost nine months to establish. I did this one habit or two at a time. Do not overload yourself with a full-blown routine on the first day. This is more of your perfectionist thinking. You are not required to be good at this the first day! Now do not beat yourself up. We are looking for progress not perfection!

Did you know that you can start over each day and sometimes I have done it in the middle of the day? I pull out my timer and pretend that my morning is beginning all over again. Then before you know it, you are back on track. The guilt is what keeps you in your CHAOS. Let it go and watch you take flight.

Routines take time to establish! If I can do this anyone can! BabySteps, BabySteps, BabySteps!

It all started with my Shining Sink! Are you ready to FLY?

FlyLady

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