Trying to let go of a habit/substance/behavior that you just can’t seem to shake may lead you to believe you’re out of options.

Not so.

There is ALWAYS another option.

If you’ve not yet arrived at an option that works for you, it merely means you’ve yet to uncover it. The soul workout is moving in this knowing for incentive in blazing a trail to it.

One option worthy of consideration involves two words that in my younger years I found highly offensive. I’ll whisper them in case they have the same effect on you: 

Slow Down. 

I know, I know– you want results yesterday and you’ve been led to believe that slowing down just makes everything take more time.

That’s a mind-block. 

Consider instead that you have one role in your undertaking and is not to concern ourselves with the passage of time, but to concentrate on fully expending our energy on the task at hand, understanding that doing so more fully utilizes the “time” we’re putting into it. In the long run, slowing down is more likely to bring about lasting change because when you slow yourself and begin practicing mindfulness, it gives your body the time to adapt to what your mind has already convinced itself of. When your body and mind are in alignment, they are not struggling against the other and you will receive both the physical and psychological empowerment it takes to overcome unhealthy attachments while acquiring optimal additions into your life. Employ a method that challenges you, but one that you know you’re realistically capable of executing, understanding that it will be a process rather than a “if I can’t achieve this in 6 weeks, forget it.” attitude. If you’re attempting to take something out of your life- taper it and slowly adjust and decrease until it’s disappeared. If you’re attempting to add something into your life- start small and increase slowly. Slowing down to allow a process to take place is a huge soul workout for us weekend-warrior-all-or-nothing maniacs, but those who adhere to it become aware of its potential in bringing about those “wow, when did that happen?” moments when we’ve realized that gradual changes within ourselves and our lifestyle have indeed occurred–as if somehow by magic. Which, in essence, they did. The magic of small daily disciplines. Do the work consistently and the magic happens.