( wine , impulse purchases , sweets , messiness ) that will make you feel worse in the end .
7 . REMEMBER , IT ' S EASIER TO KEEP UP THAN TO CATCH UP .
Sometimes , when we ' re creating a healthy habit or practice , we need to catch up . We need to clear out a lot of clutter before we can maintain good order . We need to adjust to life without the morning doughnut . This is hard but remember that once we ' re caught up or accustomed to a new way , it gets easier . It may take a few tries to get over the initial hurdle but remember that the situation will get easier once it ' s more ingrained .
Stay the course ! Don ' t give up ! My book Better Than Before examines the 21 strategies that we can use to make or break our habits , and one of the most helpful strategies is the Strategy of Safeguards . It ' s all about how to anticipate challenges , and how to deal with it when we run into trouble .
It ' s a very common frustration . +
Gretchen Rubin is the author of several books , including the block-buster New York Times best sellers , Outer Order , Inner Calm , Better Than Before , The Happiness Project , Happier at Home , and The Four Tendencies . She has an enormous readership , both in print and online , and her books have sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide , in more than thirty languages . She makes frequent TV appearances and is in much demand as a speaker .
GretchenRubin . com
* Originally posted on Gretchenrubin . com . Reprinted with permission
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