Streaks, Obsessions, Big Round Numbers, and Magical Thinking

Streaks, Obsessions, Big Round Numbers, and Magical Thinking


I've read blogs and status reports from SparkFriends who've been frustrated over breaking a login streak. Things just happen: computer failure, power outages, unexpected company, trips, illnesses, family emergencies, mental lapses, etc. They happen to all of us now and then. The system here is unforgiving. Miss a day and break the streak. I know people have felt real pain and loss over losing a streak. I cringe when I hear that a friend is willing to quit it all because a streak is broken.

These SparkPeople login streaks don't really demonstrate any particular commitment to health and wellness. For me, it just means I've got a habit of Sparking every day and I've managed to remember to spin the wheel. Even when my home internet service was out for a couple of weeks, I managed to login from work or use my smartphone (a luxury not available to everyone). It's the habits behind the streaks that really matter. Making healthy choices every day. Keeping fit. Staying positive.

I've been careful to maintain my Spark habits because they tend to keep me focused. This streak is just evidence of persistence and a little luck. If the streak were broken, I'd just start again. It's cool to see a big round number, but it's just a symbol. I've got to be careful that the symbol doesn't mean more than the actual healthy habits. Doing the right things and logging them on SparkPeople.com are two different things. The website only measures what I log -- whether I do the right things or not. Some actions only "count" if we do them within a 24-hour period. It's important to me not to get obsessed in the logging, but rather just keep focused on healthy habits. Logging just happens to be convenient for me now.

There's nothing really magical about a day. A daily streak is nice, but is 999 days out of 1000 so much different? Is my login streak so much better today than it was yesterday? Big round numbers are cool, aren't they? But what's really cool is that we're all here focused on healthy habits. We're doing what we can in the midst of real life. There are so many people here who inspire me. I'm blessed to have the opportunity to visit here each day and learn from you all. Thank you, SparkFriends, for giving me so much. You are the magic of SparkPeople, not the streaks or the trophies. I love checking into SparkPeople each day and while I'm here, I'll make it a point to spin that wheel....