Are Your Habits Holding You Back?

The rear whell of a car stuck in the mud.

We’ve had some guests staying at house which has been really nice. Having someone new staying with you for a while highlights how different we are. I have my routines which make perfect sense to me, I follow them every day. When someone new comes to stay, they do things which don’t make sense. It is easy for me to be critical. What are they thinking? Don’t they see there is a better way?

Looking In The Mirror

As I reflect on this, I realize I need to look in the mirror. Are my habits the best way? The things I have become accustomed to may not make sense or be the best. It is so easy to get hijacked by our own habits. These are our routines. They describe how we think things should be. At first they serve us very well but over time they can become our limiters.

Time To Change My Habits?

Are all my habits bad or outdated? I don’t think so but now is a good time to examine them. Yesterday I forgot to wear my Apple watch and I felt a pang of anxiety. I wasn’t recording my activity and I might miss my daily goal. While that is true, is it important? This is an arbitrary goal that I like to achieve each day but does it really matter? The point is to be active, whether I am recording it or not. Perhaps I should not wear my watch more often to break my habit of being ruled by my goals.

Are All Habits Bad?

At the same time, I have some habits which are important. I start each day with a 20 minute stretching routine. If I don’t do it, I know I will suffer later. If I miss it, I get the same sense of anxiety I mentioned with my Apple watch. The difference being this is a positive habit and one I need to keep.

Going forward, I am going to be much more aware of my habits. It doesn’t mean I will throw out all my habits. The key is examining each one and deciding which are or are not serving me well. The following questions will help me do this:

  • What is the habit?
  • Why am I doing it?
  • What impact is it having? Is it serving me well and how do I know?

How about you? When was the last time you examined your habits?

By the way, if you want to learn more about habits, I highly recommend reading ‘Atomic Habits‘ by James Clear.