Habit Monotony

One can’t argue with the idea that extremely successful people are typically disciplined.

Whether it’s a professional athlete’s morning routine, or an elite executive’s daily

regimen, they all typically have the same thing in common: consistency despite

circumstance. This commonality is directly correlated with the ability to form and sustain

habits.

It wasn’t until the last few years that I decided to evaluate my own habit-forming

capabilities. I have always been acutely aware and very frustrated with my inability to

stick with consistent initiatives. Everything from washing my makeup off every night,

never leaving a dirty dish in the sink, or doing one quick email check before bed. The

unattainability of consistency has been infuriating both personally and professionally.

Was it my attention span? The particular habits I was attempting? Or a lack of self-

discipline? How could I consider myself in the race of becoming a renaissance

powerhouse if I continued to fail at consistent execution?

The answer to my struggle didn’t arrive until I was successful with a few habits. In the

process of finally catching my stride, I discovered the personal roadblock that sits in my

way to this day.

My influence in understanding habit forming comes solely from the book Atomic Habits

by James Clear. Clear helped me to connect why habit sustainability was so difficult for

me, but also the power and advancement that comes from consistent habit execution.

I quickly learned that it wasn’t that I didn’t know how to form a habit, or that the habits I

picked weren’t successful. It was the monotony and mind-numbing boredom that comes

included with every habit at no charge. A day-to-day grind which often yields the same

results.

For many of us who need constant stimulation in our life, even if we aren’t willing to

admit it, this monotony can be overwhelming. Enough so that we will instantly steer from

a productive path onto an unpassable road just to mix it up and break up the status quo.

Clear has several impactful practices to follow in his book, whether it’s the four simple

steps or one of the laws, he will guide you through how to be effective at habit forming.

Habits hit me in two extreme phases:

Phase One - Inspiration and instant gratification, often coupled with over commitment

and unrealistic goal setting.

Phase Two - Boredom and distraction, ultimately leading to complete and sudden habit

death.

Upon habit initiation you are transforming your scenario into a new and better you.

You’re inspired by the possibility of what you could accomplish, you ride the wave and

high of gratification that comes with pushing yourself forward.

But once you get to your goal, or at least 85% of the way there, the habit is now

maintenance. The rush of transformation is gone; it’s simply staying where you are with

some small advancements along the way. The endless revolving door that you keep

going through day after day, often yielding similar results. You’re simply complying, so

you don’t slide back.

Let’s use a new skin care regimen as an example. Maybe you’ve spent years of your life

with a little acne and mediocre skin. Salivating over those individuals who must have

been born without facial pores and can’t possibly have hormones.

You decide you are going to start a skin care routine that’s going to transform your life.

You do some research and commit hundreds of dollars on an assortment of Japanese

oil cleansers, and retinol creams.

You rearrange your bathroom to accommodate the Sephora store you just brought

home. And reestablish your nightly and morning routine to incorporate the additional 15

minutes for proper application.

For 3 weeks your dedication and focus begin transforming your skin. Your intentional

focus and commitment have moved you one inch closer to looking like Angelina Jolie.

But by week 4 and 5 you realize that your initial transformation is over. You are still only

an inch closer to Jolie, and only the potential for a centimeter more to gain. You no

longer wake up, rushing to the mirror to gloat on the overnight improvement.

The regimen is no longer transformative. Yes, you may see some slight improvements

but for the most part you have peaked with your skin care routine. Now those hundreds

of dollars and extra 15 minutes don’t seem as appealing.

You have boarded the maintenance track. You can’t return to your nonexistent regimen

because you don’t want to lose your new skin. But you also can’t rely on the motivation

that stemmed from your transformation. The excitement of buying all new products, and

adding pampering to your morning, the unknown potential of how amazing you could

look.

You have advanced yourself and now you need to maintain. Buying those products for

the 5 th time feels much more like an unnecessary cost and the pampering has turned

into a chore.

This is the preservation journey. The monotonous tasks of staying at the top of your

game. Motivation and excitement have left the field and only discipline is present to

sustain your new self.

Very successful individuals understand that to advance beyond their average self, they

must be able to sustain their peak performance 100% of the time despite lost

motivation. Most importantly they are comfortable with the fact that sustainability is often

not exciting or energizing.

For me, my highest functioning, best version of myself comes from a very regimented

weekly routine. When this routine is in full swing, I am Ironman. I have been called

intense, accused of taking myself too seriously, and can be hard to cozy up to. This is

when I know I have hit my highest functioning level.

Meal prep on Sunday, 4 am wake up during the week, gym by 5 am, working and coffee

by 630 am, lift off!

But consistently every 6 weeks, I begin to lose focus. I think maybe I don’t need to meal

prep EVERY Sunday. And I skip a weekend. Or I convince myself I am going to do

some workouts in the evening instead of the morning. Anything to break up the

monotony of the flawless system I have created.

But what always happens is exactly what Clear alludes to. Not only do we start to lose

those accomplishments we have gained, but we start giving up valuable freedom

needed to accomplish stretch goals.

I never realized what freedom is gained from a routine until I dissected what it looks like

when I divert from my disciplined path.

Take working out in the morning for example. When I work out before work, I have

taken care of myself first, and dedicated time that I know will not be compromised.

When the day is done, I can hit the sofa guilt free for the rest of the night, or head out to

dinner.

But when I wait until the evening, now I have taken the freedom of my evening away.

Maybe I had to stay at work an hour later than anticipated, or a friend reached out for a

last minute cocktail. And because I am always going to choose the cocktail every time,

the workout guilt will remain with me the entire evening and into the next day.

When you derail a habit, you are trying to achieve the same results, but in a less

structured, un-disciplined environment. This always leads to subpar results with the

mental turmoil of knowing you are not operating at your fullest potential.

After a few weeks of being off the path, I consistently gain a little weight. My normal

confidence that is so critical to how I move throughout the day is altered, taking away

the mental freedom I find when I am operating as the absolute best version of myself.

The discipline (for me) of getting up at 4 am everyday leads to consistency and

opportunity. Although 90% of the time I would rather sleep, the gratification after far

exceeds the satisfaction an extra hour of sleep would bring.

And I will avoid all situations where I’m forced to choose between working out and

cocktails.

As you navigate through your week, if you are bored with the monotony of tasks that

keep you elevated, you’re doing something right. Habits should elevate you, sustaining

the best version of yourself. They should clear your mind knowing that you are walking

into the world without regret or self-doubt. You can be present.

You are setting yourself up to start working toward those stretch goals that can be

neglected or impossible to achieve if you are spinning your wheels just trying to stabilize

yourself.

You must find comfort in the monotony and know that discipline is boring. Be

comfortable with it, and capitalize on the time that you have freed up, physically and

mentally.