Breaking Bad (habits)

Every once in a while, we all go through a spell of falling off the wagon. Whether it be the healthy eating, the working out, or the “I promise I’ll clean off my desk every evening before I call it a day” wagon, sometimes, our will power or habits slip. We decide we need a break. We tell ourselves, “I’ve earned it.” Or, “It’s PSL season! (Pumpkin Spice Latte)” Or, in my case, the last couple of days….”It’s SOOOOO good! Just one more!” And, in this case, my “just one more” rationalization isn’t about a mini-cupcake, or pushing the snooze button….it’s about having my butt glued to the couch watching another 47 glorious commercial free minutes of the tv show “BreakingBad.” Over the past couple of years, I’ve heard about it; but only having network television, I had no clue what it was about.

And then, Friday night, the obsession began.

So far, our Netflix subscription has mostly been of benefit to Netflix. We’re not avid users. I mean, we could’ve written AND produced another version of “Flags of our Fathers” for as long as we kept it before returning it. And, 95% of the Netflix On Demand offerings are a thumbs down….but, their TV show selection OMG! A non-direct TV possessor’s delight!

I’m noting a habit…Last fall, I was a Netflix junkie for Downton Abbey. I think that we watched two seasons over one weekend. And, so, goes almost a near repeat this weekend with Breaking Bad. For those of you also not familiar with the tv scene, it’s about a regular guy ( Walter, a chemistry teacher) who is diagnosed with terminal cancer, and faced with 2 years to live, puts his chemistry background to use by cooking meth undercover. It’s funny, smart, suspenseful, full of emotion. I was hooked. I mean completely HoOkEd after the pilot episode. And, although I’m usually in bed by 10 pm;  and I was really proud of going the entire summer with watching less than 3 hours of tv, I really didn’t want to fall asleep Friday night because I wanted to keep watching. And, let’s just say, I’m embarrassed to admit exactly how many hours I spent watching tv this weekend…but, we’ll say it was easily double (errrr....triple) my summer tv total hours logged. And, even though yesterday was a gorgeous day, and despite my desire for an “endless summer” which includes spending as much time outside as possible; all I wanted to do was find out what Walter and Jesse were up to next.

I was reminded how addicting tv can be. It’s really easy to just say “one more episode.” “I swear I’ll get dressed after this next one.” “After one more episode, I will for sure be ready to start the day.” And then, before you know it, Walter's gone through an entire round of chemo, Tuco's dead, and they've nearly had their baby! Meanwhile, in my reality, the day's almost over and I've done zero, zip, nada. 

So, how do we break out of these bad habits? How do we get the inertia and momentum to just say no?

It’s easy yet oh so hard. Take the first step! Do it! Hold yourself accountable. When you say one more. Mean one (1) more. Get up. Get dressed. Put on your shoes. Just turn the tv absolutely off. Or, make a pact with yourself that you can watch either after you get whatever it is you need to get done, done. OR, better yet, you can watch while working out! Save your tv time for while you’re sweating and kill two birds with one stone.

Even though this advice sounds simplistic, it’s tough. But, I guarantee you, once you start doing something else, once you’ve diverted your attention to another activity, your pull towards the “more, more, more” won’t be as strong. This goes for tv, eating, and snoozing. Divert yourself. Plug yourself into your next step and just keep going forward. 

Usually, I find that I fall off the wagon and stay off the wagon when I let my schedule slip, when I don’t have a plan in place. Schedule your day (even if it is your weekend). I’m a huge proponent of letting yourself have fun in every day. So, I’m not saying, don’t schedule fun or down time. I’m saying make time for it; in fact, I’m advocating sprinkling it throughout the day! Schedule your workout for the time of day when you’re most likely to work out. Carve out time for getting yourself set for the week with your groceries and meal planning. And, set aside “you” time. I know it might sound regimented; but there’s beauty in having time to do everything you want and need to do. And, it feels better than the feeling that the entire week or weekend has gotten away from you and you don’t have anything done or anything to show for it. And besides, who wants to play catch up the rest of the week? 

A journey begins with a single step.  So, step away slowly from the remote and start your day. (It’s also really helpful to turn off auto play, btw). Set yourself up for success. Channel some of Walter's gumption and start hustlin' baby - become the kingpin (or queenpin? of your life!) Breaking Bad will be waiting for you. I promise.