Mindfulness isn’t enough

I got coached yesterday on some habits I’ve been slipping into which I’m unhappy about.

DoorDashing food, staying up late on my phone, eating junk.

As I talked it all out, I had an insight. It was a simple one (they usually are).

I said: “I’ve been complaining about these bad habits for months. I’ve been reflecting on them and writing about them. What I haven’t done is create a plan for actually doing something about them.”

Being mindful, having an awareness of what’s going on…it’s vital. But it’s not enough.

A person who knows they’re an asshole is still an asshole.

I had a friend once tell me she was aware that she was a shitty friend. I thought, Yeah…but fix that though.

Awareness is the first step, but it doesn’t build the result we’re looking for. So I wrote down the habits I wanted to minimize and then wrote a plan for how I would change my actions to do so.

Examples:

• I can’t DoorDash food unless it’s with another person • I got an app that turns my internet off at 9:30pm • If I eat junk then I can’t have it the following day

These are tangible and doable. Battling with my thoughts has been intangible and chaotic.

When mindfulness isn’t enough, create a plan of action.