Crushing Cans (and Habits)

It was the same walk I take every day back to my car.

5 things you see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, 1 thing you can taste ...

Smell is always the hardest one for me. Not because I don't have a nose, but because there are certain smells in San Francisco you DON'T want to focus on when walking down an alley. I once heard someone say, "San Francisco is the only place where dogs look out for human (expletive) when they go for a walk instead of the other way around."

5-4-3-2-1. This is a common technique for coping with anxiety, depression, trauma triggers, etc. I use it almost every day.

Get up early, go to the gym, read regularly, put words through a filter in your mind before speaking

On this particular day, I heard a man crushing a can on a sidewalk with his foot and a tear came to my eye. In an instant, I was taken back in time to a memory of my grandpa. Among his many great attributes, he recycled regularly. He somehow made crushing cans fun; an activity myself and all of his grandchildren enjoyed. For me, it was the sound it made, the accomplishment of saving space in a large plastic bag and the possibility that I might see money on the other side. Some easy change could get us a lotto ticket, a piece of candy or a tall can for my super hero.

Our brains are amazing. They are bio-mechanical computers, processing loads of information, like feelings and emotions constantly. The epi-center of what makes us human! But you are not your brain, so learn how it works and learn how to use it. Use its capabilities to develop good triggers and crush healthy habits. Get up early, go to the gym, read regularly, put words through a filter in your mind before speaking, practice gratitude and optimisim, pray, meditate, and excel in all areas of your life.

Here are 3 tips: 

1) Use the 5-4-3-2-1 method mentioned above.

I can't take credit for this one, but I am a witness to its power. This simple method helps you practice being hyper-focused on a regular basis. Battling anxiety? Become hyper-focused on healthy thoughts. Battling exhaustion? Become hyper-focused on closing all of those "open-doors" in your mind that never get closed throughout the day, the ones that keep you awake at night. Stressing about hitting your sales quota? Become hyper-focused on the ONE thing you need to do this minute that will make you 1% more successful, more prepared or more optimistic.

2) CUE --> CRAVING --> RESPONSE --> REWARD.

In Atomic Habits by James Clear, he explains understanding habits and how they work in this way. My challenge to you is to write down one habit you want to break and one habit you want to make. For the habit you're going to break, start backwards, and visualize each part of the process above. When you work back and figure out what the cue is (a smell, a sight, something you hear, feel, taste or think), then you know where and what to work on. When establishing a new habit, create a visual or audio cue, develop a craving over time, take action with a response, then reward yourself (it can be phsyical or mental).

3)  Perform "surgery" on your thoughts

. Have you ever noticed yourself getting worked up over nothing or experiencing an intense mood swing out of no where? Or the opposite. Ever been in a public place surrounded by strangers and you find yourself smiling for no reason? It's easy to think "that's just how I am" or that this happens randomly. But 99% of the time, there is some kind of cue. It could have started seconds, minutes, days or even weeks before the moment you find yourself in. The next time this happens, step out of your body and out of time for a minute. Picture the thought as if it is an object in front of you. Put your hand out and grab it. Now open it up. What do you find? What story comes to mind? Why is there an emotion attached to it? Is it something in your past, or something you think will be in your future?

If it's a positive thought, then tear it in half and give a piece to the next person you see, no matter what.

If it's a negative thought, then place it on the ground, bring your knee to your chest and crush it like a can under your foot.