How to build a new habit: be kind to yourself

Another suggestion for forming a new habit here for consideration🌸

Be gentle with yourself, especially if you’re like me and have perfectionist tendencies. 

If you’re coming back to an old activity, don’t have the same expectations on yourself as you did at your peak of that activity. As we mentioned previously, start small, start achievable, and infuse it with fun. Be kind to yourself. Realize that although there may be a setback, the skill is still there, we just have to dust it off bit by bit. 

If you’re starting something brand new, release any preconceived notion of any “shoulds” you may have. For example, when I try to learn a new instrument, I used to get discouraged because in my mind I’m telling myself this “should” be easy, because I already have decades of experience with music and performing on the instrument that I already play. You know, the one I’ve been playing for actual decades. Be nice, and shed the “should.”

If you find yourself missing a day, that’s okay. It’s new, and not part of the routine yet. If we aim for perfection right out of the gate, we can fall into a guilt cycle, and then the new habit can quickly turn into a drag.

So check in with any expectations while still in habit forming-mode, and be gentle with yourself. 

If you’re looking for flute lessons with a focus on nurturing creativity, sparking curiosity, and finding what works for you, drop me a line on my contact page and we can chat. They’re online, so they can happen anywhere!