So I found myself craving a Coke this week. But I’m on a strict diet (I’ve lost 23 pounds) and of course, Coke is not allowed. Neither is chocolate, which would be my next choice. And I’ve been fine without them. So why the sneak attack with this craving?

The answer dawned on me. I had just finished a complex, challenging project.  Four solid hours of thinking, planning, analyzing, writing, creating. I left my office, went to the kitchen and thought to myself, I’ve been working hard. I deserve a Coke.

Ah-ha! It’s an old habit pattern. How many times have I told myself that through the years, and how many times have I rewarded my hard work with Coca-Cola? A lot I can tell you!

It was a great learning moment because I’ve been reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. I recognized what was happening. The idea of deserving a reward for hard work was a cue. Responding to that cue, my brain scanned its files for a solution. In the past a Coke has always satisfied that need nicely, so that’s what it kicked to my conscious mind. You deserve a Coke.

Well, the truth is that what I really deserve is a reward that will support and nurture my body, not work against it. So I got myself a bowl of strawberries. Delicious, sweet red strawberries. They satisfied the craving, and now I know that I can break that old habit and replace it with a better choice.  I can also be on the lookout for other habits I want to discard. This is fun!