Measure Twice, Cut Once

I've heard this adage my whole life, and certainly considered it to be true. However, sometimes we forget that rules apply to everyone - yes, including us. Planning and careful consideration are such an important part of any decision-making or execution. Otherwise you could end up with two placemats that look like this!

See the placemat peeking out from the other one? That's only, oh, about an inch or so. Even before this happened I had basically come to the conclusion that I won't be selling this one - after all, it's been 100% by hand. The first time I appliqued, I did it a little differently than I did later, never mind this little size issue, so it's got "character". How could I let it live somewhere else? Besides, the whole reason I started making it in the first place was because I actually wanted a tablecloth, and wanted one that was my style. I have that, so my plan is to photograph it, and post it as a "made-to-order". Then in the future, I'll measure twice. And use a sewing machine.

Welcome to hodge-podge week, because I don't have just one idea on my brain today. (Honestly, when does that ever happen?)

Even though my resolutions helped me start working out, and develop some good habits; even though I'm employing the ideas I've had that I mentioned in Goal Attainment, I came up with something else.

Psychology has always been interesting to me, and even though I've never taken "Psychology 101", I consider myself a constant student and observer of human behavior. My primary subject being myself! I love to flesh out motivations and irrational reasons why people, me included, do the things that we do. Or more specifically why we don't do the things we don't do, even though we may want to. It reminds me of something the Apostle Paul said in Romans 7:

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am!

What is our deal? The Bible calls it our "sin nature". I think of it more of our emotional side. For me, once I look at the logic and reality of a situation, it's much easier for me to change my behavior. When we truly understand what is going on and are mindful of it, we will be more likely to make decisions based on that information and not on our feelings.

Case in point. I wanted to develop a habit of regular exercise. In order to hold myself accountable for the practice, I developed a list of goals, kept track of them on a spreadsheet, and blogged about it. That's all wonderful and helped me to stay on track. However. Why is this so difficult? Why is it so hard for me to do the things I truly do in my heart want to do? Here's my theory: Attitude. I'm not talking about a good attitude vs. a bad attitude. "I'm gonna get on this elliptical machine whether I like it or not and whip myself into shape even if it sucks!" The type of attitude change that I'm talking about is the tape in your head. Here's a look into my thought process, because I know you're all dying to hear about it.

Oh, look what day it is. Wednesday. That's the day I'm supposed to work out. Ugh. I don't want to. But I know I should. I wonder if I could wait until tomorrow? If I do, can I still get in 3 workouts this week, can't I? I may end up having to do two in a row on the weekend. Hm. Let's figure out a way out of this. I know I need to man-up, but I feel like having a bowl of cereal and playing Words With Friends instead.

Here's what I'm consciously changing my thought process to:

Today is workout day. Yessssss. Even though I may not feel like it, I know it makes me feel good during and after, plus it helps me attain my long-term goals. As soon as I get home, I'm going to change and get crackin', because I get to work out today!

All January long, I worked out three times a week. All January long, I was glad I was doing it. But once January was over, I started getting worried. With no spreadsheet to hold me accountable, how was I going to keep at it? Since I've begun consciously changing my attitude toward working out, I have done even better than I was doing when I got a grade! And that's pretty dang good. I've always felt like I was a pretty rational person, but the more you study rationale and decision-making, the more you realize that none of us really are.

What else could this technique be used for? Do you allow your mind to tell you things that you know to be untrue and let it steer you in a direction you don't wish to go?