Habits WILL Form - Whether You Want Them or Not

Whatever You Repeat, You Reinforce.

Turn old habits into new ones

As I sit here at my laptop at 5:30 in the morning, coffee in hand, I can't help but think about what it is that is making me want to be here.

What is it about this early morning hour, when everyone is asleep, that draws me towards a blank computer screen and flashing cursor.

I could be back in bed catching up on some more sleep. I could also be in the lounge, trying out that new Playstation game that I got last week. Instead, I am here in my studio, writing another blog.

The answer to these questions is in the title. I have simply developed a habit.

Humans are creatures of habit, but that doesn't mean that we like doing the same things over and over again. What it actually means is that we find it easy to fall into the habit of doing something - whether we enjoy it or not - because our brains are designed that way.

"Neurons that fire together, wire together" is the old saying. Things that we do often enough will end up becoming the thing we do on autopilot if left unchecked.

That's why I find it impossible to watch something on Netflix, without the instant craving for something 'evil' from the kitchen. You get the idea.

Habits are what we ultimately fall back on whenever motivation fails us. There are hundreds of cues in and around our homes, offices, and general environment that trigger something in us that leads us down a particular path - whether good or bad.

How often have you found yourself reaching for your phone whenever your computer decides to do another critical software update?

Why do we do that? Why don't we associate that annoying event with putting on our shoes and going for a walk instead? The update is always long enough for that.

The answer is that we have formed a habit around checking our phones, simply because this act releases far more dopamine than a 'boring' walk.

I am not the kind of person who does New Year's resolutions, I can't stick to them exactly because they are the exact opposite to a habit.

However, if there is one thing that I will endeavour to do more from now on, is be more consciously aware of habits that are triggered by my environment throughout the day.

What do I do while waiting for the kettle to boil? Is it a productive distraction, or a potential rabbit hole? What can I substitute instead?

You get the picture.

Now it's your turn. What cues in your home, office, or environment trigger you to do something (good or bad), and what could you do instead?

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Happy shooting!