get gladdicted

“Small, Smart Choices + Consistency + Time = RADICAL DIFFERENCE”

— Darren Hardy

The word “addiction” has a negative connotation. When we say we’re addicted to something, it basically means we have an unhealthy dependency towards it. This behavior is compulsive and obsessive in nature.

No matter what addiction we have, there’s always a feeling of shame and guilt lurking around. And slowly but surely we go on a downward spiral, and as a consequence, both our self-image and self-confidence take a big hit.

However, there are some good repetitive, behaviors that actually uplift us. We cannot say we’re addicted to doing meditation, exercising or reading every day. All these activities are helpful and rewarding to us. And that’s why, today with your permission, I would like to add a new word to your personal dictionary: Gladdiction.

Unlike an addiction which is a disorder, a gladdiction is beneficial for our health and overall well-being. Gladdictions, in essence, include good habits and doing things that make us feel good, every single day.

Good habits when done every day elevate our success and happiness by virtue of the Compound Effect. Some examples are waking up early, reading, meditating or simply eating an apple a day. We feel a great sense of accomplishment when we do these things daily. Our self-esteem soars!

Along with sticking to good habits, we have to gently guide ourselves towards doing things that make us feel good. In his book The Little Book of Hygge, Meik Wiking mentions that happiness consists more in the small pleasures enriched with warmth and comfort that occur every day. So get gladdicted to things that make you feel good, whether it be a nice hot cup of coffee in the morning or listening to music by your favorite artist every day.

Balance is the key. If you binge-watch Netflix for hours every day and feel pathetic and guilty after that, that’s an addiction. But if you watch it intentionally for around 20 minutes every day for the purpose of recreation and getting charged, it’s a gladdiction.

Get rid of all the unproductive addictive behaviors and replace them with gladdictions, one behavior at a time. It’s all about making a conscious choice every day. 

Healthy obsessions and compulsions when done every day can transform our lives exponentially.