Interruption
Life’s “Secret Ingredient” is interruption. It takes us out of programmed mode and opens us up to something new.
We tend to treat most interruptions as annoyances when, in fact, they can be a portal to a new view and a new you.
Every now and again our dog, Snuffy will interrupt my “Busy and Important” work by plopping a rope on my lap. I want him to go away but he wants to play. He has interrupted me. When I take the bait and play tug-of-war with him, it’s always a fun experience and it always produces a laugh for me.
Would I schedule that interruption? No, I wouldn’t; but each time it happens, I end up with a pleasurable break I wouldn’t normally take.
Interrupting ourselves is the agent of change.
We run on programmed mode at least 95% of the time. I made that percentage up, but it feels right to me. That means we are on automatic pilot most of our lives and auto-pilot will only take us to the same place.
We are patterned creatures and our patterns are quite reliable, regardless if they serve us or not. When they don’t serve us well, interruption is our ticket out of hell.
Observing a pattern of behavior, while it’s happening, is what I call “noticing.” In order to outgrow a pattern, we have to notice it while it’s running. The next step is to interrupt the pattern in midstream. Just interrupt what you are doing while you are doing it.
This is the 2-Step process for change. If you truly want to change a behavior, you have to interrupt it each time you notice it while it’s running. Each interruption paves a way towards a more useful pattern. The key is repetition of the interruption.
I don’t know how it works; I only know that it does. It takes discipline to notice and it takes commitment to constantly interrupt.
If you are struggling with change, take the time to notice and interrupt. It works when you commit yourself to work at it.
If this 2-Step process has opened your eyes to a new way, I will happily take credit for interrupting your day.
All the best,
John
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