Break things to rebuild. It sounds dramatic.

We aren’t encouraged to break things. You can go to the corner as a kid for that. As an adult, you can go to jail.

The funny thing is that kids love to build and tear down. You probably have played the block tower game. If you have kids or ever ‘babysat’, you know that kids find extreme joy in knocking things down and then doing it over and over again. They feel the power. We see mess. They see the ability to change things. They can literally move mountains. They can start over without shame or regret. No worries. Just fun.

Have you ever punched a pillow? I tried it once but didn’t get any enjoyment out of it. I got a blowup kid’s punching bag. I’m pretty strong. It didn’t bounce back up. I used it to practice high kicks for a while. It didn’t last. It was not a habit that gave me any satisfaction or a dopamine hit.

My favorite destruction brings me joy. I pull weeds. I grow them with abandon, too. I have a very large flower bed on a hill. For me, there is nothing better than seeing a very big pile and the flowers or plants that I love again. I sweat. I have conquered with no shame. In fact, this destruction brings me glory, satisfaction and beauty. I improved my health. I built muscle, sweat my frustrations and toxins out, and reclaimed a treasured territory. I won the battle. I even found myself struggling but continuing. I can’t stop myself if I see another weed. (Not to mention St. Francis of Assisi can breathe!)

My favorite weed is thistle. They grow at least 4 feet tall if left unchecked. One flower bed has been liberated! There are hardly any thistles there. The other flower beds become a jungle of prickly stalks. I have seen the results of constant attack so I know it works. I imagine trekking through the jungle with a sickle tearing a path and slicing through. Power.

Are there bad habits that you can destroy? Using an analogy and visualizing the process can help you find a way to not only persevere, but enjoy victory. Some habits are a constant battle like the thistle in my garden. Each year, I beat them into submission. Each year, I engage the battle again. Is that insanity? Not really. We can’t make changes in a day, a week or a year. Some changes happen over a lifetime. Some changes are building blocks for the castle you create every day.

Castle building ideas are coming! Or should I say ‘life building’ ideas? More about the 5 B’s series. Watch the blog!

Become the person you want to be every day. How are you? “I’m good, and getting better all the time.”

Build a system for getting 1% better every day: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits

Follow me on Instagram, Facebook or YouTube: https://linktr.ee/creativesenses172

Buy me a coffee and help support this podcast!   buymeacoffee.com/creativesenses17