I came across this quote from an old magazine that I had, and I thought…wow.
“When you break a small bad habit, you teach yourself that you can change anything”.
Um, can I get an amen?
We’ve all had bad habits, while small in nature, cause major dysfunction in our lives. Bad habits, especially of the financial nature, can cause damage not only to your pocketbook, but your self-esteem and relationships with others.
For me, it was emotional shopping, and in my mind, it was just a small bad habit. I mean really, who was I hurting? I had a terrible day at work, got into it with a co-worker, so what if I went to the shoe store and bought yet another pair of black pumps? I deserved it and had a crappy day.
No one needed to know.
But a bad day here and there, turned into many bad days. This teeny tiny bad habit I had, was slowly snowballing. Sure, I wasn’t shopping every day, so it was okay, right? And I wasn’t buying high-dollar items, just t-shirts, skirts, shoes, books, CD’s, etc… piddly crap that even to this day, I couldn’t tell you all that I bought.
“When you break a small bad habit, you teach yourself that you can change anything”.
I wish I could say my epiphany was instantaneous but it took many a credit card statement to realize that I was using that stupid shiny piece of plastic as a crutch. And this bad habit just had to go.
I didn’t know if I could truly do it, but I persevered. I stopped emotional shopping.
I broke that small bad habit.
I’m not going to lie; it was hard. And believe me, there are days, especially in the past 6 months, that I have wanted to go shopping and pour out my woes in some brick and mortar store. Because let’s be honest, emotional shopping is something you live with every time your emotions go haywire. It doesn’t just go away, because you tell it to.
But I broke the habit.
And I taught myself that I can change anything. I am capable of change.
And guess what?
So are you.
I love this, Mackenzie! Emotional shopping is something that we have all succumbed to at some point. Sometimes we don’t even realize that we’re band-aiding hurts with books, CDs, clothes and gadgets. I love the quote – it’s so powerful and true. I’m glad you broke the habit of emotional shopping and proved to yourself that you are capable of change!
Thank you so much Shannon. Your comments mean a lot to me 🙂
I love this quote, too. It’s a good one to remember when you feel like you haven’t made progress, or are slipping into old habits.
Great post Mackenzie! I have a few habits that need changing. Maybe it’s time to work on my diet coke habit.
Thank you Holly!! Good luck with the diet coke 🙂 You can do it!
Yay Mackenzie! It’s so true! I tell people about that for exercise, but it can apply is every area of life…uh yeah including my own! Anything is possible. I’m glad you broke that habit!
Thanks Tonya! I’m glad I broke the habit too! Some days are hard, but I am glad I haven’t reverted back to this bad habit 🙂
Love that quote and post, Mackenzie, and it’s so true! I completely get you on the emotional shopping – it’s taken some time, and sometimes it feels like I have to manage it to not do so, but it feels empowering once you change that habit! So glad to hear you broke yours, too! 🙂
Oops, I got clicker-happy when sharing on Twitter and didn’t write a special comment… but know I’m proud of ya. 😉
Thank you Anna! That means a lot to me; you rock! 🙂
Hey thanks, Anna!!
Yeah, the wanting to emotional shop doesn’t really go away, but I am glad that I am strong enough to say no and not give in. Glad you broke your habit, too! 🙂
I can just see you doing one of those things at the end of the post where you drop the microphone and say, “McKenzie, Out.” Hells Yes. Being 5 payments away from completing our debt management program, and all the change and progress my wife and I have made over the last 4+ years, we KNOW we can take on anything and WIN. Great post, my friend.
Ha, ha, ha 😀 Can I just tell you, my husband and I always joke about “dropping the mic”, so it is so funny that you said that! I was laughing!
“We KNOW we can take on anything and WIN”. Yes, Travis. This exactly. Thank you for your comment Travis; you made my day 🙂
That is so true. Any small step helps build momentum and get better.
Definitely!!
[…] from The Random Path dug deep and broke her shopping habit. She reminds us that You Can Change Anything. I believe […]
Mackenzie, story of my life!! Change in this area feels so awesome, doesn’t it? 🙂
It really does, Laurie! 🙂
[…] You Can Change Anything from The Random Path […]
I used to have a bit of an “addiction” to hot chocolate. I would buy it twice a day EVERY DAY. Bad for my wallet and my weight. Now I’m 20 pounds lighter, running my first marathon next weekend, and drinking tea at home.
Wow, that’s awesome 🙂 Good luck on running your first marathon!!
[…] Mackenzie over at The Random Path wrote another great post called You Can Change Anything. Struggling with a habit, behavior or a simply a boatload of debt? Read this article and find out […]
[…] “When you break a small bad habit, you teach yourself that you can change anything.”- TheRandomPath.wordpress.com […]
You put it so well, that feeling of wanting to buy a little pick-me-up after a bad day. And that “nobody needs to know…”
What happened with me was that I became disillusioned with the industry and just stopped for a while, cold turkey. And now shopping just doesn’t appeal the way it used to. I get headaches now in malls.
Thank you so much!
Totally get it about malls. They give me a headache too!
That’s true.. and if you change your mindset, it stays with you for life.
Exactly! 🙂
[…] at The Random Path declared You Can Change Anything. A powerful reminder of our ability to change our habits and beliefs, just like Mackenzie broke her […]
[…] You Can Change Anything by Mackenzie at The Random Path – “When you break a small habit, you teach yourself that you can change anything”. All of us are capable of change, no matter how small or large it is. Read more about Mackenzie’s journey to realize that here. […]