Wean yourself? Say what? Let’s start with a definition: “To wean yourself from something is to gradually eliminate that thing from your life. You may want to wean yourself from watching too much TV, drinking two pots of coffee every morning, or obsessively reading the celebrity columns.” [1]
The amazing thing about weaning yourself from something is that, you get to choose what to eliminate. Watching too much TV could be bad for me but okay for other people. In other words, we are all different and that is okay.
Several years ago, I had to go through a weaning process – to gradually rid of some habits that I felt were detrimental to my goals. For me those habits were: obsessing with the future; negative thinking; a lot of daydreaming; watching too much TV; no respect for the value of money.
At the time, none of the habits I mentioned earlier felt like a bad thing. In fact, I enjoyed every one of them. It is easy to think too much about the future, to be pessimistic, to daydream, to watch too much TV and to spend money recklessly. However, over time these habits can lead to an unfulfilling and depressing life.
Let’s pick negative thinking, for example. Imagine trying to become an entrepreneur when you don’t think positively. Entrepreneurship involves taking a lot of risks and I do not see how one can do that without at least being optimistic about the future.
As a writer, time and focus are crucial. Spending many hours everyday watching TV will not do my writing any good. Neither will recklessly spending money. My business needs that money.
Over time as I have weaned myself of those detrimental habits, I have seen my life transformed for the better. Some new habits that need weaning pop up once in a while, but am quick to get rid of them.
If you are serious about achieving your dreams, identify the habits that do not contribute towards making your dreams a reality. Then wean yourself from those habits. Keep in mind that weaning is a process. Do not be too hard on yourself.