Better Than Before / Gretchen Rubin
After finishing the book Better than before, I would say that the better understanding of habit helps me deal with some challenges more easily. Previously, when I faced a challenge of changing part of myself, I felt strange and uncertain. At that time, I often thought: “Maybe it is impossible for me to change into that way.” I can’t be sure whether the change will happen even if I pay a lot of effort. Can I really change something that seems to be a part of my nature? Can I really change something that I have lived with for such a long time?
However, knowing more about habit changes my way of thinking about the possibility of changing myself. I start to believe that I can change myself into the person I want to be, through the most reliable and reasonable method—the rule of forming a habit. Through this book, I learn the sufficient elements of forming a habit: Consistency, repetition, and no decision; and two important concepts: (1) don’t-break the-chain (2) Perfect compliance wasn't necessary, but the earliest repetitions of the habit helped most to establish it. These elements and concepts both imply a crucial key: Our brain and our body need consistent practice to memorize a new pattern.
As compared to the past, now I won’t be too frustrated at one imperfect action (although I have used to be a perfectionist for a long time.) because I know that acting perfectly once is not the most important thing, but forming a habit is. What’s more, I realize that the little failure and imperfect action are simply the processes of habit formation.
Formerly, I thought that “Becoming a person who always thinks positively.” is awkward to me due to the fact that I considered myself not that kind of person. But recently, I try to cultivate a habit of positive thinking. It seems to me that many personal traits which we thought are part of ourselves possibly are habits which have formed for many years. (Even since we were children) Thus, I don't need to feel deprived if I have to change something which seems like a nature of myself. On the contrary, I believe that the elimination of ‘an old habit’ will bring ‘a new and better habit’ if I know ‘clearly’ whether that ‘new habit’ will bring me closer to the goal I want to achieve.
You said, "I believe that the elimination of ‘an old habit’ will bring ‘a new and better habit’ if I know ‘clearly’ whether that ‘new habit’ will bring me closer to the goal I want to achieve." If you know? You are still hesitating, aren't you? This is surely easy to say, but hard to do. BUT, I do like the first step to "start thinking about the possibility!" Thinking about it then putting it into practice, little by little, you'll highly likely achieve it. OR, simply take it as an experiment, not fearing to fail!
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