10/05/2025
What a VA Doctor taught me about making habits stick
I'm part of a small family and we all share the load, early in my paramedic career one of my post shift duties was driving my grandfather to his VA appointments. He was a 50-pack-year smoker, a Korean war vet in his 80s now battling metastatic lung cancer.
During one visit, a young, charismatic doctor asked about his smoking. My grandfather tensed up immediately, cutting him off: “I know, I know... stop smoking, stop smoking.”
But the doctor didn’t say stop. Instead, he said: “I’m not asking you to quit. I’m asking you to cut it in half, and go from there.”
And he did.
It was powerful to watch the shift in my grandfather’s face when he realized he didn’t have to do the impossible. He just had to do less. That small change gave him the grace, autonomy, and sense of control he needed to move forward.
That’s advice we can all take—whether it’s doom scrolling, unhealthy habits, or the pressure we put on ourselves. It doesn’t always have to be all-or-nothing. Sometimes, the best step is just cutting it in half and starting there.
What’s one habit you could cut in half this week?
#911
