Old Habits

I used to bite my nails.

There's a lot of talk these day about building habits.

But, not all habits are good.

To stop this embarrassing habit that adults don't talk about,

I invested in manicures--by professionals and in all the tools I needed to learn how to do them at home.

If I kept nail polish on my nails, I would not bite them.

Over time, my nails grew and repaired themselves from years (and I mean a lifetime) of nail biting.

Eventually, I could go without polish.

And then, on a long drive or during a tv-binge, I'd bite them.

I'd put polish back on, and repeat.

This process took nearly 10 years.

But, now, I'm a recovered nail biter.

The nail polish was a form of accountability.

Today, I find accountability in other ways:

A health coach.

A personal trainer.

A therapist.

A declaration of my intentions to others (my husband, my friends, this community).

Yes, habits require a cue, craving, response, and reward, but I find they also require accountability.

With habits like nail biting, accountability is hard to come by.

We don't want to admit our bad habits.

Accountability though, and recovering from bad habits, creates space for connection and community.

It also helps us make room for better, more-desired habits.

How do you find accountability when building new habits?

#lawyerwellbeing #productivity #selfhelp #gettingthingsdone