Old Habits Die Hard

Day 322 / 366

The above idiom is generally used for bad habits, to imply that it is hard to get rid of bad habits. For instance, I am addicted to YouTube. On several occasions, I have tried to stay off it by uninstalling it from my phone and blocking the domain on my laptop so that I have no way of playing a YouTube video. One time I went over 100 days without YouTube. Yet, once I start again, it takes only a few days for me to get addicted again.

This is why people who get sober stay sober for decades, even for life. They don’t go back to drinking a healthy amount, say one drink a week because they know that that one drink would be a gateway to one day getting blackout drunk again.

Last year around this time I had developed a great habit of eating healthier. I had given up on all processed food and sugar, and I was eating more protein. It was tough at first, but after a month or so I had stopped craving junk food. Chips or oily food felt gross. And I felt more energetic than ever. So recently I decided to try it once again. And I realised that just like bad habits, good habits die hard as well.

I find it easier to say no to junk food today, and while I still crave sweets, I am confident that that will stop in a few weeks. And following the mantra from Atomic Habits, once that happens I will start stacking some more good habits with this one. Maybe I will start working out again or going for runs.

My point in writing this blog was that it is possible for anyone to get back to their best versions. If you did it once, you can do it again. You just need to take action.