The Power of Developing Habits & Achieving Goals
approx. 2 min. read
These days I’ve been embracing cozy season by baking every weekend. I’ve made banana bread, apple cinnamon coffee cake, apple cheese danishes, and pumpkin whoopie pies from scratch while meal-prepping new recipes like shepherd's pie and baked ravioli. Because I know my way around the kitchen, I expect my bakes to be successful. However, I wasn’t expecting to feel such great satisfaction from this new habit.
Baking has been empowering for me. Coming across new recipes and eating my creations throughout the week is fulfilling, maybe in a way I haven’t experienced before. Not only am I providing for myself, but I get to be creative while accomplishing a goal. I’m more confident and energetic due to successfully baking a new recipe. Every week I savor tasty sweets without harmful preservatives or additives for color, taste, and shelf-life. It’s great that I know what’s in the food I consume and my body reaps the benefits of that.
In the age of social media and same-day delivery, it’s easy to find instant gratification from outside sources. And it’s too easy, to the point where receiving packages the same day is commonplace instead of exciting. In fact, forms of instant gratification can be numbing because too often that satisfaction doesn’t last. The best way to get dopamine while improving your sense of self is to develop habits that make you feel whole. Because I get dopamine from baking, my urge to find gratification elsewhere has decreased incredibly. There is much less reason to spend money on retail therapy or on a sweet treat when you already feel satisfied.
This concept highlights the importance of developing habits and achieving goals. When I find myself ungrounded or overwhelmed, I like to write. I find comfort in grabbing a notepad and writing a list of things I’d like to happen in my reality. What must I accomplish this week, month, or season? That’s how I decided to start baking from scratch. Crossing words out over time and realizing I did those things, no matter how stressful, joyful, or simple, is powerful. And that proves that I can accomplish anything, I simply need to acknowledge my desires and get started.