Something said in the email today from James Clear rang a bell with me.  I changed it a little as he is referring to habits (although I like the thought of activities I feel I should be involved in becoming habits.)
To me habits imply something hard and fast.  I am not comfortable with that being my starting point, as it implies to me an expenditure of effort to pull myself up by my bootstraps.
I personally think that is the domain of a select few and unless done for an eternal purpose it only achieves (and that is a good thing short term) a result for now.  And most struggle to achieve it.
I can only think of my own experience.  I had a list of habits that I both wanted to do and wanted not to do.  I had ticks to indicate when achieved and crosses to show when I failed.  It was depressing.
Only when I surrendered myself to my makers plan for me did I dream and achieve.  Sorta good I reckon.  I would rather acknowledge need then do it all myself and reach the top only to find my ladder was against the wrong structure.
James Clear said, "When determining the size or complexity of a new [task] ask yourself: What can I stick to — even on my worst day?  Start there. Master the art of showing up. Then advance."
The key there for me is “even on your worst day.”  I have seen and experienced (and no doubt many others have too) others saying they can achieve such and such.  And they can too.  On their best days.  But starting with what can be achieved on my worst day is liberating for me.
To me “inch by inch everything is a cinch.”  I really like to be able to celebrate small victories.  Many small victories make a big victory.
When I bite off more than I can chew I experience a downer.  The goal may even be good, but trying to achieve it all at once is a bridge too far.  I am more inclined to give up then to keep going on something that is achievable in a different way.  It is a bit like the old saying, “How do you eat an elephant?  One chew at a time.”
To me it is better to achieve something a bit at a time then to achieve nothing by attempting too much at once.

I reckon women would stop saying how difficult childbirth is if they went through man flu.  I also reckon I will get a lot of bites in this fishing spot.
I have been forced to be an undercover agent.  In bed is the best spot for me right now and I am surprised how I do sleep.
I knew something was going on on Tuesday.  I had real difficulty sleeping the Monday night.  I cancelled all the next days activities.  They were to be in the morning and at night.
Tuesday I started taking Panadol (I knew I was not pregnant, so the debate of the time did not apply).  The first lot did wonders but when I took the second lot I knew it was getting worse as they did not have the affect I thought they would.  Probably things were better than they would have been, but needing another hanky told me this was getting worse.
I cancelled any activities I had planned for the next day.  I was going to have breaky with a mate.  I really enjoy those breaky’s but do not think others would have appreciated a coughing, spluttering person in their midst. I was also going to have a jam session with the next door neighbour.  He is “fly in, fly out” and works on a rig in the Arafura sea.  He has been learning the guitar and sounds great.  I have contacted him, and we will get together next time he comes home.  He is on a two week rotation.
So I think today will be similar to yesterday.  A lot of time in bed.  As far as I am concerned this thing has just lingered, although this time around it is worse than any other.
Actually, I reckon this is a first world problem.  Compared to the suffering of others it is really light.  But it sure is inconvenient and a battle I would prefer not to go through.

Not only do I get an email from James Clear each week, I also get advised of new podcasts on a weekly basis from someone I find incredibly interesting.  The person was high up in politics but has since retired.
His former position probably enables him to interview what I regard as very interesting people.  They have been experts in the field of climate change, China, sex, immigration and defence, to name a few.  The podcasts are mostly over an hour long and I generally get a sentence or two for each, that impacts me big time.
I was watching a podcast on Saturday where a book written by the person being interviewed was said to be a good read and full of surprising data.  It was also said to be an easy read.  The person being interviewed is a journalist.
The interesting, easy read, sparked my interest.  I have found with some writing difficult subjects are difficult reading.  In other instances, difficult subjects are easy to understand as the matter is explained in an easy to understand manner.
I decided I wanted the book.  It was ordered on Sunday and arrived on Monday. Sure enough it is interesting and well written.  I found that I had read 120 pages or so in very little time.
Like the podcasts I find certain sentences interesting and impactful.  For example he quotes Ross Douthat of the New Your Times as saying, “if you didn’t like the religious right wait until you meet the post religious right.” I do agree with that.  I find that the extremes of right and left are scary.
He talks about what is being promoted today as beginning and ending in despair and so much policy being based on opinion rather than facts.
I do not pretend to be an authority on such things but only know what I see. I search deeper when I feel I am only hearing one side of a story.  The more I see, the more I feel the abandonment of our Christian heritage is shooting ourselves in the foot.
But that is the way I see things.  It is up to all to determine a course of action and for me to love no matter what.