Urge Surfing & Progress Over Perfection

I recently had a conversation with someone who had quit smoking. At the time of our chat, this person had been quitting that vice grip of a habit for about three weeks. Perhaps it was a New Year’s resolution.

To stop smoking is an impressive feat. I know, having been a pack-a-day smoker in another era of my life. Who was that woman?

I also remember the Herculean effort to leave those ciggies behind for good. So many starts and stops. It took me YEARS to entirely leave them behind. From where I sit now, the countless efforts to quit were well worth it.

I wish I could go back and tell my 20-something self to focus on progress, not perfection. Each time I quit and started back up, I learned something about the harmful habit I had fallen into at age 13. I only saw starting again after quitting as a pure failure. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

If I had the kind of support and mindset available now, back then, I probably would have been able to ditch the habit way more quickly than I did. No matter what, I am deeply grateful that I cannot imagine putting another ciggie to my lips in my lifetime now, so wholly dead is that habit to me now.

The conversation left me reflecting on how frustrating it can be to see lofty goals, resolutions, and intentions set a month ago fizzle out at this time of year.

Many folks in my world practice dry January or more healthy eating practices, such as decreasing sugar, especially after the December cookie-and-treat fest. And then, when these things creep back in, the proverbial baby gets chucked out with the bathwater.

I am reminded of the “progress, not perfection” wisdom that moves the dial forward here. Being too rigid leaves me cold and defiant. I spent years in that black-and-white perfectionist mindset, spinning my wheels on my health habits and dreams I had for myself.

I am grateful for the many tools we have to support our health in this era. One of the most powerful is free and literally at our fingertips.

When trying to leave a habit behind, such as smoking or scrolling or sugar or wine or shopping or binge-watching Netflix or emotional reactivity or fill in the dopamine-seeking blank here, there is a free resource on an Insight Timer app that can help. It is called Urge Surfing.

Various Urge Surfing choices are available depending on the habit you are working on. Recordings range from 5 minutes up to 20 minutes. All you have to do is download the app, search for Urge Surfing, and listen.

When I or someone I am working with attempts to break a habit that no longer serves, I value, use, and suggest this tool.

So, if you have found yourself giving up on the healthy intention you set at New Year's, I am here to say KEEP GOING! You are doing great. Give Urge Surfing a try, and know I am cheering you on.

And if you would like support in creating healthy habits, we can chat about that. Reach out to me here by hitting reply, and we will talk.