I have a habit that I try to maintain on weekends—running and golf practice. I usually wake up at 5:30 a.m., run 5 km or 10 km, and then head to a practice range. From time to time, I struggle to wake up or put off the routine until another day, especially after drinking on Friday. Today was one of those days when I felt intense fatigue due to stress and the nighttime heat. However, I did it as usual because I knew it would bring me greater satisfaction and happiness than staying at home.
After more than two hours of running and working out, I felt adrenaline running through my body. This feeling always makes me maintain my weekend routine and wake up at the same time without oversleeping. As described in the book Atomic Habits, a small cue, such as waking up at 5:30 a.m., naturally connects to a bigger action, such as morning jogging. I have also recently tried to fit as many of these small habits as possible into different time slots so that I can effectively manage my self-development and the time I spend with my family. Without planning small actions, I have already experienced precious weekends ending up filled with time-killing activities such as watching Netflix and browsing websites.
To that end, I deleted entertainment apps, blocked frequently visited services, and put other activities into the empty time slots instead. Of course, I need alternatives for fun, just as we often need something sweet when quitting smoking. I agree with the idea that overly drastic changes without an outlet can make me tired of my new attempts. However, I restrain myself from becoming obsessed with new, negative hobbies that I temporarily adopt to refresh myself or relieve stress.
Recently, I have been trying to do difficult things and take up new hobbies for my long-term development and a better life. At this early stage, it is difficult to say whether I can maintain this self-discipline and these habits for the long term. However, I believe some of the greatest changes start with small actions.