Habits are the small and repetitive actions that we do routinely, often unconsciously. Habits can be either positive or negative, and they have a profound impact on our lives. A positive habit can improve our physical and mental health, while a negative habit can hold us back from achieving our goals.
One’s life today is essentially the sum of one’s habits. How in discipline or indiscipline one is ? A result of his/her habits. How successful or unsuccessful one is ? A result of his/her habits. How happy or unhappy one is ? A result of his/her habits.
“Life is habit. Or rather life is a succession of habits.” -Samuel Beckett
One of the most significant benefits of positive habits is their ability to conserve energy and promote self-discipline. When we develop a positive habit, it takes less effort to perform that action over time. For example, if you develop a habit of going for exercise every morning, it will eventually become your routine, and it will require less conscious thought and effort from you each time.
On the other hand, negative habits can be harmful to our health, productivity, and overall wellbeing. The more we engage in such behaviour, the more difficult it becomes to break out of these habits and establish new, more positive ones. For example, if you have the habit of smoking, it can be challenging to quit, even if you know it’s bad for your health.
“If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.” -Colin Powell
You are the captain of your ship. Sometimes we tend to believe that we are helpless and make self-defeating statements such as, “This is all I am”, or “I can’t help it.” That’s far from the truth. You have the power to take control of the processes that takes place in your brain. The trick is to replace the routine with a healthier action or behaviour that will yield the same rewards. Try out different routines until you’re happy with the results. Don’t force yourself to do something that you’re not completely happy with. When you do, it will be difficult to sustain it for a long period of time, and you’ll revert to old habits.
The key to developing beneficial habits is to start small and focus on one habit at a time. If we try to change too much too fast, we can easily become overwhelmed and discouraged. Whether it’s eating more vegetables, reading more books, or doing exercise, it’s essential to identify a habit that will positively impact our lives and approach it with a small and achievable goal.
“Successful people are simply those with successful habits.” -Brian Tracy
Another important aspect of habits is the role of environment and triggers. If we want to change a negative habit, we must identify the environmental and situational triggers that lead us to engage in that behaviour. Once identified, we can take steps to remove the triggers, replace them with positive alternatives, and create a supportive environment that reinforces the behaviour we want to encourage.
Habits have a substantial impact on our lives and our ability to achieve our goals. By developing positive habits, we can conserve energy and promote self-discipline, while breaking negative habits can improve our health, productivity, and wellbeing. Developing good habits requires focusing on small, achievable goals and committing to consistent effort over time.
“Habit is the intersection of knowledge (what to do), skill (how to do), and desire (want to do).” -Stephen R. Covey