Forming habits
Let's say you want to photograph, edit, and upload a photo to Instagram every day of the week? That's 365 photos, which is a lot of work. How about 5 days a week? That's more achievable and gives you the weekend to take images and edit them for the whole week, rather than a daily commitment spanning the year. How about three images a week? That's doable, you could do that. How about one image a week? Now that’s easy. That's where you start, with easy.
To start a behavior or goal, start with easy. Begin at the lowest commitment and scale up from there. That way, you trick yourself into starting, and you don’t get discouraged. Committing to a photo every day for a year is a lot of work, whereas one image a week is super easy.
Another habit you might want to form could be a behavioral change, which is quite achievable. Instead of doing the big "I’m going to change everything in my life" moment, consider something a little smaller. Sure, you want to make a difference in your life, and that's great, but consider this. A little drop of water can crumble a mountain. First, it starts off as a drop of water, then that water forms a crack in the rock. Over time, a stream of water appears, later transforming into a waterfall. That waterfall over years builds a river below it, which forms ponds. Then, before you know it, that little drop of water made its way through the mountain to form a valley. That can be you, and all it takes is a little task now, like the drop of water. You can build on your easy task, forming a path toward the big change you want in your life.
Just remember, life gets in the way, so take a long-term view. Whether it might be starting a new career, getting into shape, or advancing your photography. It’s not sexy to say it, but think long-term, think about the next year or two, or even a decade. Water can break through rock; it just takes time. Set yourself with the expectation that you will achieve your goal, start slowly, form the habit. Build on that formed habit, and grow from there. Before you know it, you’ve formed your own pathway toward what you consider meaningful in your life.
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