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> I spent a month of the year just flossing 1 tooth each night (ridiculous, I know!), then 5 months just flossing 1 row (better!) Was this because you hated it

> I spent a month of the year just flossing 1 tooth each night (ridiculous, I know!), then 5 months just flossing 1 row (better!) Was this because you hated it so much that you couldn't bring yourself to do more than one at a time, or is it important to effective habit building that you intentionall hold yourself back? (I can't imagine getting as far as remembering to do it, getting out the floss, tearing off a piece, flossing one tooth and then not saying, eh, I'm already here, might as well do more.)

ethanbond 7y ago
Yes I hated it and yes I’m exceptionally stubborn :)
csharp 7y ago
It isn't a "practical" thing, it is a mental thing. "flossing my whole mouth feels overwhelming, so I'm not going to do any of it", vs "I just need to floss a single tooth, that is easy". Sure "just grow up and do it" sounds nice, but learning to build habits that generally feel unrewarding when starting out (e.g. working out, learning instrument), is extremely difficult for some people (e.g. me).
- Buttons840 7y ago
  It's a bit strange that something that takes less than two minutes can seem so overwhelming, yet we've all been there.
  - taberiand 7y ago
    For me it is the chore factor, the feeling that it's something bothersome that has to be done. One way around that I've found is to convert it to a desire - saying to myself "I deserve clean, healthy teeth" is enough motivation, for me, to pick up the floss. Similarly, "I deserve a clean, tidy home" gets me picking up the vacuum and mop, "I deserve a healthy body" is a useful mantra for eating well and exercising.
  - marktangotango 7y ago
    To me it goes like this; I just did it yesterday, there’s nothing there to get out. So I’d forget about it for another week.
  - csharp 7y ago
    Very true. For me, it is the feeling of 100 small 2-minute things. I find myself looking how to get out of as many as possible.

ethanbond 7y ago

Yes I hated it and yes I’m exceptionally stubborn :)

csharp 7y ago

It isn't a "practical" thing, it is a mental thing. "flossing my whole mouth feels overwhelming, so I'm not going to do any of it", vs "I just need to floss a single tooth, that is easy". Sure "just grow up and do it" sounds nice, but learning to build habits that generally feel unrewarding when starting out (e.g. working out, learning instrument), is extremely difficult for some people (e.g. me).

Buttons840 7y ago
It's a bit strange that something that takes less than two minutes can seem so overwhelming, yet we've all been there.
- taberiand 7y ago
  For me it is the chore factor, the feeling that it's something bothersome that has to be done. One way around that I've found is to convert it to a desire - saying to myself "I deserve clean, healthy teeth" is enough motivation, for me, to pick up the floss. Similarly, "I deserve a clean, tidy home" gets me picking up the vacuum and mop, "I deserve a healthy body" is a useful mantra for eating well and exercising.
- marktangotango 7y ago
  To me it goes like this; I just did it yesterday, there’s nothing there to get out. So I’d forget about it for another week.
- csharp 7y ago
  Very true. For me, it is the feeling of 100 small 2-minute things. I find myself looking how to get out of as many as possible.