For the last couple of Fridays, our little town has had power cuts.
They’re frustrating. No lights. No kettle. No Wi-Fi. No cooker. NO HAIRDRYER!!
You realise how much of modern life depends on that invisible thing (electrickery) just working.
But the strangest part isn’t the power cut.
It’s knowing the power is off, walking into a room and still switching on the light 💡
Click. Nothing.
You’re there for half a second thinking, ‘Why the heck did I do that?’
You know there’s no power. You’ve said there’s no power. You might even be holding a torch. And yet still, your hand reaches for the switch.
It’s a habit.
They’re not always logical. They’re automatic.
And that’s why it’s hard to change habits. I’m going to: Eat better. Stop scrolling. Exercise more. Stop saying yes too quickly. Stop reacting in the same old way.
Stop checking WhatsApp every seven seconds.
And then you do. Just like switching on lights in a power cut.
Then we slip back into the old behaviour and think, ‘What’s wrong with me?’ I’m smart!
A habit that has taken years to wire in won’t disappear just because you’ve decided it should.
That’s why ‘Why don’t you just stop?’ is such poor advice.
Why don’t you just stop eating biscuits at night?
Why don’t you just stop looking at your phone?
Why don’t you just stop worrying?
Why don’t you just stop snapping?
It sounds simple from the outside.
But inside, there’s a well-used circuit.
Introducing the pause. That little moment of noticing is powerful. It creates a gap.
And in that gap, you get a choice.
You may not get the choice every time.
You may still flick the switch.
But eventually, you pause before you do it.
Then you pause with your hand on the switch.
Then you choose something different. Then the power comes back!
If you want to change a habit, don’t just try to stop it.
Replace it, interrupt it or stack something new onto something old.
If you always pick up your phone when you sit down, put a book where your phone normally lives.
If you want to drink more water, do it as you make your morning coffee.
If you want to stretch, do it after brushing your teeth.
If you want to plan your day, do it the night before.
The aim isn’t to become someone who never touches the switch. The aim is to become someone who notices sooner.
If you’re trying to change something and you slip back into an old pattern, don’t beat yourself up.
You’re not broken.
You’re just wired. And wiring can be changed.
One pause.
One choice.
One switch at a time.
Be Brilliant!
Michael.
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