Status Updates From Better Than Before: Masteri...

“ Life was too solemn, too splendid to be frittered away in such trivial concerns. But while concentrating on my habits might seem small-minded, in the end, mastering those habits would allow me to put these questions out of my mind, to transcend them. I could turn all my attention to worthier matters, and yet be assured of the solidity of the architecture of my everyday life.”

“ The more dramatic the goal, the more decisive the end-and the more effort required to start over. By providing a specific goal and a temporary motivation, and requiring a new "start" once reached, hitting a milestone may interfere with habit formation.”

‘ the less we indulge in something, the less we want it. When we believe that a craving will remain unsatisfied, it may diminish; cravings are more provoked by possibility than by denial. William James observed,
"It is surprising how soon a desire will die of inanition if it be never fed." ‘

“This was exactly what I had noticed about the "stopping" aspect of First Steps. When we try a new habit for the first time, it feels full of promise, even if it's arduous. But most of that excitement is gone the second time, and the habit's drawbacks are more apparent. Plus, there's the discouraging feeling of having lost ground, of going backwards.”