Creating a Path...

"As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives."
~Henry David Thoreau

It can be discouraging to attempt to make changes in your life, only to find yourself slipping back into old patterns.

It helps to keep the above quote in mind, so that you don't beat yourself up unnecessarily over your temporary setbacks. Reboot, and keep on going!

If you blow your stack over something unimportant, remind yourself nicely that you're not like that at all... and then ask yourself what was wrong that you lost it then... for example:

"Hmmm. Wow. That's not like me at all. What was going on, that I let ____ get to me like that?"

Many times, you'll realize that you were worried about something else, or it was something as simple as you were hungry, or needed a break, and were pushing on past the time to do those things [children aren't the only ones who throw temper tantrums when they are tired :)].

It also helps to set yourself up so that you will succeed. It can give you the space that you need to make the right [new programming] decision/action, instead of the wrong [old programming] decision/action. Removing temptations and replacing them with healthy choices works with more than just changing your eating habits.

As an example, if you find you usually feel stressed out when you have to wait on a long line at the post office, you may want, as much as possible, to go at non-peak times and days, order supplies and postage online, invest in a scale, and/or batch errands with someone who doesn't mind the post office. Maybe you can do something for them that they hate to do, that you don't mind.

My point is, that you have to figure out what your triggers are, and how to avoid and/or minimize them, so that you can continue to press forward toward your goals, without backsliding as often.

Creating a Path...