Habits and Change - Be A Slave to Good Habits

Things don't change if things don't change.

That's a little mantra that I learned a while back in Mr. Thompson's leadership class in high school. I took the class as an easy A. I was in the class with one of my best friends, Mr. Thompson's son. The subject, and the fact that one of my best friend's dads was teaching class seemed like a perfect combination for fun with little effort. What I didn't realize was that I would learn some really good life lessons. I would learn things that would stick with me for the rest of my life.

One of those was the phrase I started this post with. I'm not perfect, nor do I have all the answers, but I'm trying, most of the time. If you know me, you've probably heard me say this phrase to you. It's entirely true, good or bad.

I'm not entirely an Anthony Robbins fan, but here's a quote that I reblogged on my tumblr page, that kind of means the same thing.

I posted this a while back on my tumblr page.

I just read a really good post over at Lifehacker titled "The Right Habits". This reading reaffirmed my little phrases above and brought to light some other things like "keystone habits" and "small victories". I'll share the video posted as well, but I still think you better go read it. :-)



I will end this post with a quote that a commenter left on that article.

"If I must be a slave to habit, let me be a slave to good habits." - Og Mandino

Self - Control or Lack Thereof.... [lifehacker]

Over at Lifehacker is an excellent post on self-control. We all give in sometime, during the day, the week, the hour.

One of the reasons I stopped drinking soda and eating meat was a self-control game with myself. I loved playing those mind games with myself. The "not eating meat" stuck with me and became a way of life. I stopped drinking soda, with a few friends, for probably 6-8 years. It is do-able.

"The simplest way to get better at anything is to practice. As a weekly exercise, pick something you do in excess and stop for a week. Stop watching television, don't eat out, or keep technology out of the bedroom so you can sleep better.  "

Proceed to the article:
How Self-Control Works, and How to Boost Your Willpower by Better Understanding It

Five Best Wallpaper Sites [Hive Five]

...from Lifehacker...

Five Best Wallpaper Sites [Hive Five]: "Nobody likes staring at a boring desktop when they fire up their computer every morning. Keep your wallpaper fresh with the five most popular sites Lifehacker readers use to satisfy their wallpaper..."

Most Popular Firefox Extensions and Themes of 2009 [Best Of 2009]

Most Popular Firefox Extensions and Themes of 2009 [Best Of 2009]: "This year's release of Firefox 3.5 gave us a lot of reasons to like it, but its extensibility remains everyone's favorite feature. These add-ons and theme tools were the most popular in the year gone..."

Cutting Your TV Watching in Half Burns Calories Equivalent to Walking Eight Miles Per Week [Television]

A very interesting read... check it via Lifehacker.

Cutting Your TV Watching in Half Burns Calories Equivalent to Walking Eight Miles Per Week [Television]: "The New York Times reports on a study examining how watching less TV affects average (five hours/day) TV-viewers. The results: Cutting television in half resulted in the equivalent of walking roughly..."

Brew Hard Cider from Scratch [Alcohol]

Brew Hard Cider from Scratch [Alcohol]: "

It's a perfect time of year to try your hand at turning some apple cider into hard cider, apple cider's rabble-rousing older brother. With just a few supplies and a jug of cider, you can brew your own at home.

Armed with a jug or two of apple cider and some easily acquired homebrew gear like a vapor lock and a packet of yeast, you'll be ready to start the brewing process. Your total cash outlay should be under $10 to get started, though you can certainly obtain higher-spec brewing supplies.

The Instructables tutorial covers making your own apple brew using both fresh, unpasteurized cider, and using commercially available pasteurized cider like you'd find at your local grocer. If you skip the make-your-own-cider step and buy a jug from the local cider mill, the whole process should take you only a matter of minutes to set up. Let your jugs sit tight in a cool and dark place for a few weeks and you'll have some home-made hard cider to help you ride out the winter months.

Brew Hard Cider From Scratch [Instructables]

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