First off, I like to call them habits. Not rituals. Not routines. Not schedules, or tasks, or to-do's, or appointments (though I may add them to my calendar for a month or two to help me establish a habit).

Habits are DEEP. Think of a habit like how you feel when you STOP doing it.

Think bad habit. Smoking. How do you feel when you (try to) stop?

It feels T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E.

Now, of course, much of that bad feeling is withdrawal from the nicotine. But think: You actually feel really bad the very first time you don't smoke. It's kinda too soon for the drug to be affecting you so profoundly.

It's the habit you miss. It's all the things you do doing that habit that you immediately miss.

For example, to stick with smoking a bit…it's often a social thing. People go get a smoke together. They talk. Shoot the shit. Wind down. Cool off. Bond.

You miss ALL of that right away.

So now that you've been imagining stopping a really ingrained habit…that's what you want to avoid, right?

Plus (a BIG SUPER PLUS) is that these habits we, together, are going to undertake will be good for you.

We are not starting any bad habits. Nothing unhealthy. Nothing that will hurt you or anybody else.

So you're going to feel bad if you stop for two reasons: The joy of DOING the thing (habit) and the BENEFITS you get from doing it!

Let's stop here. Chew on this a while. Think of your worst habits.

• What do you like about them?
• What do you dislike about them?
• What will you miss if you stop doing them?

Ask yourself the same questions about the good habits you have.

Come back tomorrow. (Make it a habit to come here every day!)