Change can be uncomfortable, especially when change involves monkeying with well established routines. Our morning rituals and routines are probably the most deeply ingrained. When a behavior we want to extinguish is attached to another familiar routine, change can be tough.
Let’s look at the most common behavioral trigger discussed in our weekly QuittersWin tobacco groups – COFFEE! Now I know that some of you don’t drink coffee, so you’ll need to substitute some other trigger for the sake of this discussion. But most of you can immediately agree that the first day you pour a coffee and DON’T light a cigarette, you will feel awkward. You may find your hand reaching for an ashtray (that hopefully isn’t there any more.) Your leg may suddenly become restless and might start twitching. Yup! This is awkward, it’s uncomfortable, it’s not “normal!”
But hold on for a minute… Remember why we’re doing this? We’re talking about taking back your freedom. We’re talking about terminating an abusive relationship (your addiction) with a substance that tries to control you financially, socially, emotionally, and causes serious harm to you! Sure, change is going to be awkward, but awkward isn’t going to kill you. Clinging to familiar, lethal habits will. Go ahead, embrace the awkward! We’ve felt awkward before and we’re still alive, right?
You deserve to be free and that means getting past the awkward and on to the exhilarating liberty that comes on the other side of challenge and change.
#AwkwardBeatsDead
