Why I Don’t Stick to Goals or Habits Anymore

I don’t stick to goals or habits anymore.

I used to do this because society and goal experts told me to do it. Their advice resonated on the surface, and I followed it. After I began to critically think about sticking to goals or habits, my perspective began to shift.

When we stick to something, we cling to it and limit our other options. Even the dictionary defines it as; “to fix or become fixed in place by or as if by gluing.”

While we don’t pull out the bottle of Elmer’s glue, people stick to goals and habits all the time. Sometimes it’s because we believe our past efforts on a goal will have been in vain if we stop now.

If we spent five hours reading a boring book, why would we stop now?
If we spent three hours looking for the perfect productivity system, why stop now?

Pursuing a bad option will get us further down the hole. There is no need to push ourselves further into misery when we have other options.

Sticking with habits and goals puts us on autopilot, yet autopilot isn’t always good either. What if the path pivots towards a destination we don’t want to go?

Life is always changing and I don’t want to be stuck on one path when the best path might change. I want to be mindful of the actions I’m taking, and how I plan to get there.

A good habit for one might be a bad habit for another. There is nothing wrong with forming habits and doing the same work day after day, as long as you’re intentional along the way.

Sticking with a habit leads us astray.
Intentionally repeating a habit leads us where we want to go.

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