2 days ago I posted a blog regarding an incident that occurred 10 weeks ago – the sudden explosion and shattering of my shower glass door. I also mentioned in this blog how this unexpected shocking event was eventually resolved, and what I learnt from the experience. Well, this morning I learnt another lesson – something to do with habits.
I am sure that most people have heard that it takes 21 days to form new habits.
When the incident regarding my shower door first occurred it was such a pain and an inconvenience to have a shower, especially the first morning after. I had to position myself carefully behind the second part of the door that was still intact to prevent water from splashing everywhere. It took ages for me to have the shower, and it didn’t help that I had to then mop up water off my bathroom floor afterwards. I was not happy! Over the next few days I worked out how best to have a shower with minimum splashing and minimum stress. By the time the glass door was fixed the new way of showering had become second nature, and I hadn’t even noticed it.
It was only this morning as I stepped into the shower and turned on the water, and then proceeded to get on with showering that I realised that I hadn’t closed the newly replaced shower door. I had become accustomed to showering without it. In fact, it clearly didn’t bother me anymore.
We are amazing human beings, and we are built to be resilient, flexible, and adaptable. We have the ability to push forward in the midst of adversity, overcome obstacles, and persevere. Most importantly, we have the ability to change – to change the way we are being, to change the way we do things and to change our attitudes & mindsets.
My broken glass shower door did not prevent me from having showers, and if I am being honest, it was a wonderful opportunity for me to learn how to do things differently in situations and circumstances that may require me to be adaptable.
Clearly it took more than 21 days for me – 10 weeks if we are being specific, but the interesting thing is that I wasn’t counting the days. I took one day at a time, and before I knew it !0 weeks had passed. Looking back now it probably had become a habit in 21 days, but I hadn’t noticed.
So! If we are to put my Glass Shower Door into context, the point I am trying to put across is that we can take up new habits (good ones) and drop old habits (bad ones) if we are prepared to take the 21-Day-Challenge.
It may feel uncomfortable, inconvenient, and be a pain to start off with but if we take it one day at a time and remain consistent, by the time we get to our 21-Day Goal Post it will feel like it is now second nature to us.
If I had decided not to have a shower until my glass door was fixed, not only would I not have learnt this lesson, but I would also STINK.