Right off the bat I need to give credit where it’s due. Bob Goff, in his book Love Does said that he quits something every Thursday. I found that really intriguing, like I imagine most people did, but I wondered how in the heck that would work. Still, it stuck in my head. Then one day as I listened to an interview with Bob the interviewer said “That’s 52 commitments” and suddenly it clicked. How about if I did this for a whole year? I could knock out a lot of the crap in my life that I’ve been avoiding, putting off, justifying and worrying about? What would I look like, what would my life look like if I made a 52 week commitment to quit something bad in my life? Would I ultimately, as Bob said, begin to give up good things for better things? So that’s how the idea was born. 52 weeks, a new thing every week, big things, small things, maybe even good things; as they said in the dark ages; “Off with their heads!”
Course Correction and Commitment
How do you know when to tweak, when to stick it out and when to trash?
Going Cold Turkey on Alarms
No clue how quitting waking up to an alarm ever will work but I can’t wait to try it
Stepping out on my Own
I’m setting myself adrift on memory bliss (listen at your own peril, it’s catchy)
A Health Flurry as the End Approaches
I’m realizing my Thursdays are numbered so ramping up is necessary
Complaining and Negativity
These two have gotten me absolutely no where so I’m kicking them to the curb.
No More Traveling Down the Curved and Narrow
I’ve gone down these paths so many times even the dog knows what’s coming
Steering clear of the Social Black Hole
Once you drop into the abyss who knows when you’ll resurface.
An Early Anniversary/Birthday Gift to my Wife
To say my wife will feel tremendous satisfaction about this week’s quitting is the understatement of the decade.
A Resolution to Overcome the Obstacle
Getting over, around or through what seems to block our path requires resolve.
Getting Everything Moving in the Right Direction
It begins with the little things we do or don’t do first thing in the morning
To Go: Why I’m Cutting Out, Eating Out
We grew up eating out and we’ve continued to justify it; until today.
More Follow Up
So you might be asking yourself, ‘How’s that goober doing on those things he said he was going to quit?’
The Season of Denial
This one should stick, hopefully, like the one that kicked this whole thing off.
Shut Up and Say Something
Slowly but surely I’m learning talking to God doesn’t have much to do with talking.
Depression
Until we start talking about this subject openly and honestly we don’t have a snowball’s chance of getting or giving any help.
Big Fat Liar
‘Tis the season of New Year’s Resolutions so what better time to cut out all the b.s. about what I tell myself about how easy or how hard something is going to be.
Expectations
Expectations are like thumbs: really important to have but every once in a while, hello, hammer!
Allowing Others to Have Ownership of What I Do
Pat Benatar, Jerry McGuire and several personal development authors weigh in on this Thursday’s quitting topic.
Drinking-This will be a tough one
I may just be the slowest learner on the planet. I’ve experienced and known about an activity that saps my strength and energy and bums me out for years now and I continue to do that “thing that I do not want to do” (loose bible reference). That thing is drinking.
A Quitting Follow-up: Clutter and Pop
The Coke from McDonalds is still like liquid crack. It was delicious! Damn you Coca Cola!
Quitting Candy in the Afternoon
Sometimes it’s the no-brainers that pose the biggest challenge, especially if they’re delicious!
Quitting T.V.
A resolution early this year went better than expected and gave me the courage to start this whole “Quitting Thursdays” thing.
EATING LATE AT NIGHT
This week, drunk on past success, I’m tackling a 36 year habit. Woof! (Literally)
GIVING UP POP
Breaking up a long-standing relationship, one I’ve fought for and “earned” might be the toughest thing I’ve quit so far.
QUITTING CLUTTER
The ever-present junk lurking around, long a source of depression fighting purpose, has got to go.
AN UPDATE ON QUITTING ANSWERING EMAIL
I gotta be transparent and forthright here, folks. I still get twitchy every time I have my laptop open and working on this blog.
Skipping a Day of Writing
Back in the day there was a commercial for the Florida Orange Growers Association where Anita Bryant said “A day with orange juice is like a day without sunshine.” This spawned the Steve Martin one-liner “A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.” I liked the latter a lot more than the former. This week’s quitting is really more about not quitting.
Checking Email After Hours
Let me be frank; I bitch a lot. I don’t think I complain so much as I just bitch. Fortunately my bitching is internal so usually I don’t burden or bother others with it but I do it. A lot. One of the things I bitch the most about is how I can’t get away from my job.