I love chocolate chip cookies.
My current favorite is the Lux sandwich. Lux is a local coffee shop here in Phoenix, and the Lux sandwich is a chocolate chip sandwich with an espresso swirl cream filling. It's at least 700 sugary calories of glory...
I normally buy two.
But when I'm weight conscious, I'll try to limit them to only once per week or once per month.
So yesterday, when I left my co-working office for the day, I immediately started heading out to Lux but I noticed something interesting...
Friend, lets pause the cookie story and quickly address today's topic: pattern recognition.
I imagine there are areas in your life that you want to change. Goals you want to achieve; improvements you want to make.
If you shift your focus away from all the things you have no real influence over (other people, Facebook shutting down, governments policies, etc) all you have left is yourself.
Your growth begins and ends with your ability to consistently change yourself.
But the problem is being driven by old habits, ingrained beliefs and behaviors. So even when we read a new book or hear a fascinating concept, so much of what we do is unconscious and habitual.
The solution I've recently discovered is pattern recognition.
You have patterns that shape your day to day life. Not just habit, behaviors, and and beliefs. But a whole strings of interwoven patterns.
Let me illustrate with my chocolate chip cookie...
Yesterday as I left work and headed out to buy a cookie, I was able to catch my pattern.
It wasn't hunger that lead me; nor was it a sweet tooth craving.
Over the past 3-4 years I've been developing my ability to better understand my thoughts and emotions... simply watching my thoughts, noticing my emotions... and all that has led me to see patterns in myself.
And now that I notice them, I can change them.
While heading to buy the cookie, I remembered that I technically didn't want it. I'm actually trying to lose 15 lbs. So what was going on?
I asked myself what was my state? What had I been thinking before I left work? Did I leave the office feeling accomplished or frustrated?
I was feeling a little frustrated. I was a little concerned with my progress in learning a new subject matter.
It wasn't major. It wasn't depressing. But just a mild unease... leading me to seek a 700 calorie sugary relief.
That is one of my patterns. And though I didn't catch the thought. I missed the emotional state. I did notice the action. And from the action, I was able to back track to the thought, and the emotion.
Then, I turned around and headed home. :)
You may think this is minor. But to me it's huge. Never have I been so conscious and intentional.
To see change, improvement and growth... we have to increase our awareness of our patterns.
The whole chain of thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Pattern recognition.
Start documenting the pieces of your patterns.
Just noticing will likely change them. Most of the time we're blind to the reasons why we do what we do.
Create a Great Day!
Arvell Craig
P.S.
If this has been helpful please forward to a friend.
