I used to do yoga everyday until I got a frozen shoulder. Even after it healed I never got back to my regular practice.
I used to do Pilates, but when the studio on my street closed I never found another one.
I used write in my journal every morning, but when I took on new clients I started working earlier and never got it back on my schedule.
I used to play the piano, but now that it’s in the TV room I rarely do.
I used to get together with friends, but now that I’m single/married it’s harder to do.
We all have had good habits, even great habits, and then something happens to interrupt the pattern. It may be a relocation, an injury, a new role, a new assignment. And accommodating the changes that are a regular part of life is a good thing. It’s a sign of adaptability and we know what Darwin said about that!
However, when we are forced by circumstances to alter our routine, it’s important to look at what had to be “moved” to accommodate the new. Then consider how to keep that “good habit” in place.
First consider the intention behind the habit. Was yoga about flexibility? Was it the quiet time you loved? Or was it being with a group of people you enjoyed? Once you know the intention, it gives you more choices so you can honor that intention in a new way.
If you did yoga for flexibility, but the studio closed in your neighborhood, you could try swimming at the Y down the street. If you did it for quiet time, but your schedule got super busy, you could try meditating in bed in the morning before you get up. If you did it to relax but your knee blew out, you could soak in the tub.
The important thing is to look at what you “used to do” and decide if your intention around doing it still exists. If that intention does still exist, close your eyes and remember how good it felt to actually engage in that activity. What feeling did you get from it? That will help you get creative in imagining how you can honor your intention – and that may look different from what you used to do… or not.
Let me know what you discover!
Until next Tuesday.
Elizabeth