I recently have returned to my intention of writing what are known as “morning pages” – a stream-of-consciousness ritual of writing 3 pages first thing each morning (coined by Julia Cameron in her book The Artist’s Way.) I had written them quite consistently for around 18 months before having Aedan around, and it provided me with more memories of my dreams, greater mental clarity, and a little bonus creative spark. Of course, it is proving to be less simple to execute them now, as I juggle it with the responsibilities of parenting full-time and working part-time. Getting out of bed before 6am to attend to the pages feels healthy for me when I have fallen asleep early enough, but it can feel challenging to get back into that rhythm.

This dilemma had me thinking about why many people experience resistance to forming new habits and how it gets a bit easier with time, yet how easy it is to fall out of a good habit.

When I Google searched “power of habit resistance” 59.1 million results popped up, and with little time to spare, I dove into just one article. (It is no wonder that the internet is notorious for perpetuating choice fatigue.)

Some claim that spring is an easier time to make resolutions than deep in the winter, when so many imagine lofty goals for the new year. So, if like me, you’re working through some resistance around returning to healthy habits, here are a few tips highlighted from Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit:

#1 Write down a specific plan
#2 Include how you’ll get through the humps
#3 Give yourself a reward

I am looking forward to digging into the coming month’s theme in the weeks ahead, as May is the month of creativity. I hope to connect soon and hear what may be creatively in the works for you.

What’s Happening this week…

There will be no youth group tonight due to a lack of RSVPs, but this Sunday, Danielle, Keri, and I look forward to staffing our nursery and CFD room, where we will welcome children and youth of all ages to come play and create art.