For me, the rethinking process sometimes involves thinking in reverse gear. With a house full of kids, believe me, we have tried just about every chore assignment system devised. Charts, cards, lists, zone cleaning, daily assignments, free-form, we’ve done it all. Most of the time, what inspired the change from one system to another was that something wasn’t working. Bathrooms were not getting cleaned, rewards or correction had to be meted out far too regularly, if I didn’t stand there and watch it, it didn’t get done—something along those lines.

By stopping the frustration with the current system or habit and imagining the end result, then charting a path back to where we started, I could get a much better grip on where I wanted to head than by using someone else’s system. (Yes, I have tried Flylady. Thanks for asking.) Sometimes there are benefits to reinventing the wheel. The greatest system in the world isn’t great if it doesn’t work in my own home. If, one day, my adult child is caught vacuuming before they dust (HORRORS!) I am going to have to assume they have done the math and this works for them.

The habits we set up in one stage of our lives might work great during that stage. But when circumstances change, shouldn’t we rethink these habits? Some questions to ask might be:

  • What was going on in my life that made this the ideal for me?
  • Is this habit still serving me well?
  • Has something changed in my life that perhaps I need to reevaluate this habit?
  • What are some other options for performing this task or making this decision other than the habitual process?

This Thursday, I’ll share a couple habits I’ve formed that worked for years, and others that became outdated when my life changed. In the meantime, please post a comment below with your thoughts and habits, struggles and successes, or link back to a post on your own blog. Let’s share and inspire each other!

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