Right Foot First

For my whole life I have been a "right foot first" guy. You know, putting on pants and shorts--right foot in first. For the past week and a half I have needed to become a left foot first guy--and it has not always been an easy adjustment. "Right," you say, "how hard can it be to use a different foot first when you are getting dressed?" Apparently harder for me than I would have thought two weeks ago.

Since my left leg doesn't bend quite as much yet as it eventually will, I have to put my left foot in first, then follow with the right. But the right foot first way of doing things is so ingrained that more than once I have gone right foot first, only to struggle to reach the left. Then you know what comes next--right foot back out and left foot first.

Do you recall back in school when the kid who broke his dominant arm had a tough time? The left-handed kid had to learn how to eat and write with his other hand. The right-handed girl had to figure out how to brush her teeth and hair from the other side. (Think it is easy? Next time, try brushing your teeth with the other hand.)

Old habits die hard. Patterns of behavior can be changed, but not without an effort commensurate with the length of time the behavior has been a habit. Not only effort, but some measure of time. The person who has mostly sat on the sidelines and watched for years will not suddenly become a fit and fast 10k runner. No matter how well intentioned. The person who has not read a book in years will not suddenly become the star of the book club. The instrument owner does not become the musician just by taking the horn out of the case. The person who has made a habit of living far from God doesn't become Mother Teresa overnight.

The challenge of changing habit patterns is to stick with it long enough, and with enough energy, to make it last. The temptation is to quit too soon. Because it may be difficult and the results are not instantaneous.

Patience is not my strong suit, but in my knee rehab, my faith, and the rest of life, I must be patient and invest the time and energy to own my new and healthier habits. Then the new, better habit will be even stronger than the old one.

Pressing On,
-Ken