To stick to a habit do ‘in a row’ [Lesson confirmed in 2021]

Like running, flossing became easier once I decided to try to do it as many times in a row as possible without breaking the chain. 

There is just something about accumulating a bunch of successes in a row that makes you not want to give up.  I made it to 447(?) (there is a pic of this on the goal entry) before I legitimately forgot to do it and broke the chain accidently. 

I had alarm set to go off daily.  But if it went off at an inconvenient time I could snooze it.  At bed time I checked all my alarms and made sure to do them and dismissed everything.  In the morning, I pulled down the alarms, and tucked up out of view was “floss.”  Damn.  I just plain forgot, then didn’t see it…

And once there is a break in the chain it’s harder to get back in the habit, because it’s a fail. So without the chain holding my goal together, I skipped other occasional days after that. But not too many, because it’s SUPER-scary not going to the dentist for literal years.

But also I don’t want Covid about it. And it just seems very high risk to sit in an unventilated room with my mouth wide open for a long period of time, splashing water, and a strangers (or 2) hands in my mouth. Especially not knowing the hygienist, dentist, receptionist, other patient true vaccine statuses.

So I’m back on the flossing wagon.