48. in the search of growth...

Category: Career and Purpose

48. 

Habits are the building blocks of our future, which is why we should sanity check them occasionally.

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Habits are the brain’s way of conserving energy. We make behaviours automated because our brain has decided they have been repeated enough times and therefore, do not need to be revised or supervised anymore. But just because something is automatic does not mean it is always beneficial. Even more so - it may have been beneficial before, but no longer aligned with what we want to create.

• Unlearning takes time: Research from the European Journal of Social Psychology shows that unlearning a habit can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days, depending on the complexity and emotional attachment to the behaviour.
  So - better think twice because unlearning bad habits is twice the price - once to unlearn and then to learn anew.
  
• Self-awareness on pleasure versus purpose: So often habits just feel good - say snoozing the alarm clock for me, or being late for appointments - and they are so counterproductive to what we want to achieve.
  Changing a habit is often harder than it looks. But it is not impossible.
  
  The good news?
  Once established on a few repetition - the new habits will just as easily slide into our system and become part of just what we do. Like getting up earlier, or saying what we actually think, or taking action before we feel ready.
  

You have been talking a lot about self development, though, why?
        Haha, great observation. Personally, I am …