The Importance of Habits.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." Aristotle.
Regardless of your plans, you can only live one day at a time. Think about this. Everything you do, all the results you achieve, all the relationships you build, are based on your actions today. Arguably, we could shrink this down from today to this very moment.
This is a large responsibility, and often many days go past where we don’t live in accordance with our principles. Where we end our day with regrets instead of being proud of our achievements.
Fortunately, we can consider each new day to be an opportunity for a fresh start.
Creatures of Habit
Humans are creatures of habits, but it is only in the last fifty years that scientific research has understood just how true this saying is. Everything, literally, changes the shape of your brain. The brain is incredibly flexible, this is what makes human beings so adaptable to almost any situation.
Studies show that 43% of our behaviours are driven by our habits. [1]
This adaptability, and the ability to create and strengthen neural networks and synaptic pathways in the brain is a double edged sword. It can work with us when we compound healthy habits, and against us when, for instance, we get addicted to Fentanyl — a drug that is 50x more potent than Heroin — and we cannot help but seek more.
"The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.” Samuel Johnson.
The Point of Habits.
The idea behind developing habits is to create patterns of behavior that are easy to repeat. We move these patterns from conscious effort to something akin to unconscious behavior. To paraphrase Nike, we “just do it.”
Living a good life involves balancing numerous aspects — career, health, relationships, education, wealth, and decisions, among others. By automating routine actions through habits, we free up mental space and cognitive resources to focus on more complex and meaningful activities. This shift not only enhances productivity but also contributes to overall well-being.
When behaviors become habitual, they require less mental energy, allowing us to concentrate on tasks that demand more attention and creativity. For instance, developing healthy eating habits can reduce the mental effort needed to make daily food choices, leaving more room for professional and personal growth. Similarly, establishing a regular exercise routine can improve physical health without requiring constant conscious motivation.
Moreover, habits provide a sense of stability and structure in our lives. They help us navigate the uncertainties and complexities of daily living by offering a predictable framework. Good habits can lead to incremental improvements over time, fostering a growth mindset and continuous self-improvement.
Additionally, habits enable us to spend less time on self-improvement and more time enjoying life. By embedding beneficial behaviors into our daily routines, we achieve a state where these actions are performed with minimal effort, leading to a more efficient and fulfilling life. Life is meant to be lived, and effective habits help us streamline necessary tasks, allowing us to savor more moments and experiences that make life truly meaningful.
References
Notes
Additional points to raise:
Efficiency and Productivity: Habits streamline routine tasks, allowing you to perform them with minimal mental effort. This efficiency frees up cognitive resources for more complex and meaningful activities.
Mental Space: By automating everyday actions, habits free up mental space, enabling you to focus on important decisions and creative pursuits.
Stability and Structure: Habits provide a predictable framework in your life, helping you navigate uncertainties and complexities with greater ease.
Incremental Improvement: Good habits lead to small, consistent improvements over time, fostering a growth mindset and continuous self-improvement.
Health and Well-being: Developing healthy habits, such as regular exercise and balanced eating, can significantly improve your physical and mental health.
Reduced Decision Fatigue: Habits reduce the number of daily decisions you need to make, helping to avoid decision fatigue and maintain high energy levels throughout the day.
Consistency and Reliability: Habits build consistency in your actions, leading to reliable and predictable outcomes in various aspects of life, from work performance to personal relationships.
Foundation for Success: Successful individuals often attribute their achievements to the habits they've cultivated. Consistent positive actions, driven by good habits, pave the way for long-term success.
Adaptability: The brain's ability to form and strengthen neural connections through habits makes it adaptable, helping you quickly adjust to new situations and challenges.
Enhanced Quality of Life: Effective habits streamline necessary tasks, allowing you to spend more time enjoying life and engaging in activities that bring joy and fulfillment.
Wood, Wendy, Jeffrey M. Quinn, and Deborah A. Kashy. "Habits in Everyday Life: Thought, Emotion, and Action." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 83, no. 6 (2002): 1281-1297. ↩︎