#PositiveVibes - Scratch That

By John R. Nocero & Nicole M. Palmer

The VIBE: Are you still writing 2018???

John: As Nicole and I write this, it is January 11, 2019. We are 10 days into the new year and yet we occasionally are still writing 2018. I was checking a spreadsheet a day or so ago and in one of the cells, I had January 6 2018 in it. I immediately wanted to blame copy and paste, but no, I did that. How could I have done that? Are my memories or fine motor skills coming back to haunt me? I don’t think so at all. Writing the date on spreadsheet, letters or checks seems to be something we do on autopilot without thinking about it. Autopilot means doing something automatically without even thinking about it, generally because you have done it so many times in the past. Have you ever completed a data entry project and could fill in all the cells by the second week without even thinking about it? What about driving to work? Have you ever pulled into the parking lot and wondered “How did I get here?” when you turned off the car? What about the things you were doing that were challenging at first, but now seem easy. Since Nicole has a newborn, I will use the example of making bottles, changing diapers or putting the baby to sleep. Remember how hard they were at first, how worried you were that you would accidentally make the bottle too hot or too cold, and hurt him; or not get the diaper on right and it would fly off at the most inopportune time, creating a potentially embarrassing, but freaking hilarious – situation?

Nicole, have you stopped writing “2018” yet and what are some of the things you do on autopilot, that were first challenging but now you handle with ease?

Nicole: They say it takes 30 days to learn a new habit. I think it’s going to take 30 days for me to stop writing 2018. It’s a good thing that I double, triple check my work, because I am habitually writing 2018. It doesn’t feel right to write 2019 yet. It hasn’t officially sunk in yet. John, do people still write checks anymore? I thought we were living in an electronic world ??? Joking! I haven’t written a check yet this month, but I can tell you that I will be very cautious when I am writing the date to ensure that I am writing 2019. Yesterday when I was in the office, I was filling out a training log and I wrote 2018 and I had to get the white out and correct it. Yes, I’m old fashioned and I like to hand write things out instead of type of them. If I filled out my form electronically it would have been easier to push the delete button and replace the 8 with a 9 than wait for the white out to dry. I’m still not comfortable with electronic signatures, but that is a whole another topic. One thing that I do on autopilot that was first challenging but now I handle with ease, is changing diapers. They should give out awards for how fast you can change a diaper. When my son was a newborn he would lay on the changing table, smile and wouldn’t move. Now, I have about 10 seconds or less to get his diaper on and I have to use tricks, like giving him a wooden spoon, which can sometimes be used as a weapon, if he decides to throw it in my direction. I’ve gotten really good at ducking! Cheers to 2018. Oops I mean 2019!

 #dreamteam

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