Old Habits Don't Die

Old habits don’t die.

They don’t disappear or get eradicated from our lives. They simply get tucked away—placed in the back of the closet, maybe in a dark, dusty corner.

But they’re still there.

And every now and then… we pull them back out. Some of these habits are small and familiar. Like reaching for the chocolate at 3:00 in the afternoon, or forgetting to drink water all day, or opening your inbox and letting 200 emails take over your entire nervous system.

We know these patterns. We’ve lived them.

Over time, we begin to see that they don’t serve us. Through mindfulness and self-awareness, we create space from them. We learn how to calm our system and respond rather than react, but that doesn’t mean they’re gone… they’re just waiting.

Sometimes, without even realizing it, we slip them back on like an old pair of dusty slippers because they are comfortable and familiar, and we go unconscious. 

I noticed this recently on a hike today. The past few weeks have been full—traveling, speaking, coaching, writing, and of course, life layered in between. Bills, responsibilities, the day-to-day. And this day, I was in my favorite place on the trail, and I LOVE being near the river, yet my mind was spinning with looping thoughts and running to-do lists on repeat, creating a quiet sense of pressure building in my body. I even sat down by the water to pause, to breathe, but the momentum of my “tasks”  kept pulling me.

And then I realized - this is an old habit, and I let it slip back in and take the steering wheel. 

When I slowed down and got honest with myself, I saw that part of it is that my meditation practice hasn’t been as steady with this schedule. And instead of judging that, I simply acknowledged it. This is where I am right now.

But the deeper realization was this: This used to be my normal.

Running at that pace and living in that constant loop of doing and managing.

And I am 100% clear, I don’t want that anymore.

As I continued walking, I became curious and started to notice my thoughts: "Don’t forget this." Make sure you do that. I gave myself permission to simply notice the feeling in my body—a tightness in my gut, a subtle pressure in my chest — and instead of pushing it away, I recognized it. This is an old version of me.

Our bodies are always giving us information. That uncomfortable feeling wasn’t a problem. It was guidance showing me that I had picked up an old pattern again… an old way of being.

And in that awareness, something shifted; the second half of the hike felt different.

I stayed present. I used a simple phrase, a mantra, to bring myself back when my mind started to wander. Not perfectly, but consciously.

So if you find yourself slipping back into an old habit… an old way of thinking, reacting, or being, don’t beat yourself up. Realize that this is a well-worn or familiar way of being and then… let it go. Again and again and again if need be.

With awareness, you get to choose, and that is our personal power more than you realize. 

With presence,