Recently we went camping with my son’s cub scouts group, and one mom, I noticed, despite the really chilly weather, took a shower first thing in the morning and right before bed at night. We all commended her for it. The shocking part of it all was, even her sons took a shower as well.

The rest of us decided early on that none of us would be taking showers during that entire camping trip. Granted it was only three days and two nights. 30 degrees at night and a mere 60 degrees during the day. So, it wasn’t really that bad. It was not like an entire trip, backpacking up the mountains for a week.

So, why am I talking about camping and showers. Well, I wanted to discuss habits. This mom told me that ever since she was young, her mom instilled into her this habit, and it is so innate in her that could not function or start her day without first taking her shower. Her mom taught her this habit, her grandmother taught her mom, and now, she is did the same to her boys.

“If habits are a part of who we are,
then our habits become who we are. ”

Does that make sense? Let’s break that down.

My father has strict habits of his own. Which I admired. He was the first one in the office, and the last one who left. This was of course before his heart attack. After which, he had to slow down with his schedule a bit.

I remember him having a huge whiteboard in his office to keep track of all sorts of things, clients, payables, collectibles, and his employees would be coming in to check things off and add things.

I tried to work in his office one summer for extra allowance and he made sure I was never late, and always left the same time as him. I remember him doing his morning routine, having breakfast, always oatmeal, then getting his attaché case, then getting into the car, that was waiting for him.

We’d arrive in the office, and everyone would greet him good morning and we’d go about business. At around 11:45 we would order lunch and at 12 noon, the lights would dim, so everyone would know its lunch time. At 5pm, his driver would pick up his attaché case, which meant it was time to go, and we’d leave for the day. Like clockwork. Every day.

My dad was also a stickler for time. He doesn’t like being late. He was such an early bird. When he says that we need to leave at like 5:30, you better be down the stairs and running to the car by 5:25 or he’d be by the stairs calling your name. No threats or anything, he’ll just have that annoyed look on his face.

Habits and routine were a big thing for him. It was a big part of him. I believe that his habits made him who he was and helped him be successful.

My sister, Tet also has a schedule of her own. I’m not exactly sure of her schedule. We follow very different time tables, but there is no interrupting her when she is working. She is very disciplined in following that schedule and it is very admirable and impressive.

She’s always been that disciplined. Even when she was a child, when she studied for school and exams, she had very good study habits that she never had to cram for tests. I never understood how she did it, but again, it made her remarkably successful in her endeavors.

Remember she started ProductiveandFree on her own. Which sprouted from DrawntoDIY. She created a successful business by diligently researching and constantly creating content and templates that our clients need and what the market demands. When she got it off the ground, we were all so proud and impressed and still are. #girlboss.

So again, if habits are a part of who we are, then our habits become who we are.

Simply put, the things we do in our daily lives are what makes us who we are. If we spend time watching Netflix for hours, eating fast food, and making excuses instead of doing what needs to be done, where do you think you will be tomorrow, or in a week, or in a month?

Then again, if you get up now, turn that tv off, throw that fast food, stop making excuses, start walking, eat something healthy, read a book, then where would you be tomorrow, or in a week, or in a month?

Believe me, it is not easy. I know.

I have my own set of bad habits and the list is long. Right now, I’m struggling with trying to get back to eating healthily and doing all that regularly. It is a constant struggle. One minute I’m on track, eating the right foods, no sweets, no carbs, then I see a smore and I have smores for like a month, and it all goes down the drain. Then I try to start over again, then I see my favorite chocolate bread, and there we go again.

So, you are not alone. The thing is, do we let that define us? Do we stop from there? Do we stop and give up? NEVER. We keep trying. We keep going. We let our habits become our successes. Then everything else will follow from there.

Point here is, we never give up. There will always be difficulties. We never let the ‘downs’ keep us down. We rise with every fall. We try again. We keep moving.