Put your keys in the same spot every time

I remember when I was brand new in recovery in the mid-90's and the only key I had to anything of value, was a key to my sisters house where she was letting me stay until I got my feet under me. This morning, as I returned from getting morning coffee I thought of the title of this blog as I was putting my keys on the key hook, where I put them each and every time I return from anywhere.

I get asked "how did you do it?"  How did you go from the depths of hell to where you are today? I enjoy amazing success in my life today as a person in recovery from substance use and mental health disorders. It's not magic how I have done it. It's not fate, and I don't believe it is a miracle in how I have been able to get to where I am today.

I put my keys in the same spot every time. Repeated, healthy habits that can be as small as that, and bigger ones that help me in other areas. I value having structure and order in my life. Seems a no-brainer for a guy who used to live a life of complete chaos right?  The only way I can enjoy structure and order, that brings me calm and peace of mind, is by having those healthy habits that are part of my daily repertoire in all I do. 

I have a clean as you go is a skill I learned and it is something Katrina and I do in our home.  The key thing is part of that. What might seem picky to you, is normal for us and just what we do. Hanging the keys in the same spot every time is one of the many things that we do that keeps our house in order. When my home is order it almost naturally translates over to my work areas. I am able to take these habits right into my work life. When the little things are in order it is easier to manage the bigger things that come along. 

Now, how the heck does this help me as a person in recovery you might still be asking?  In massive ways; massive. 

Small habits turn into big habits.  When I teach myself any healthy habit that helps calm my mind in little ways, it translates to helping me stay calm through the big stuff that life throws at me. I don't have to stress that I can't find my keys. I know where they are because I put them in the same spot every time. If I happen to be running late I don't compound that by not knowing where my keys are, or where my wallet is, or any other little thing I might need. It doesn't turn into this massive issue simply because I couldn't fine my keys. 

The snowball effect comes to mind as I close this blog out.  Think of it this way.  If you don't have positive healthy habits for the little things, you won't have them for the big things, it will just compound itself from a small snowball right into a big one as it rolls along the ground. 

Because I put my keys in the same spot every time, I have created the positive snowball effect into other areas of my life. I keep other things in their same spots every time.  The little things and the big things.  I have created positive healthy habits throughout my life that keep me on a positive road forward.