The Simple Dollar: How One Man Wiped Out His Debts and Achieved the Life of His Dreams

Chapter 17. Holding You Back

I pulled into the bookstore parking lot, got out of the truck, and began walking into the store before I realized what I was doing. The whole experience—stopping at the bookstore, strolling inside, buying a book or two, and going home to read them—had become so routine that I didn’t even think about it. Even after hitting our financial breaking point a few weeks ago, I still found myself going through the motions of my old life. I was about to make the same mistake again simply because this was the routine of my life. It fit like an old glove—spending in such a frivolous manner was second nature to me. I realized that this was going to be harder than I thought.

May 2006

Earlier we discussed how we use routines ...