I have some terrible habits. I consistently tell myself that I will do one thing but then I actually don't do it and instead end up falling into a terrible routine I've built for myself. This includes waking up, arriving to class or work on time, starting an assignment earlier, staying positive and so on.
The word habit is defined as, "a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up." Sometimes we don't even realize the habits we've managed to create over time and I believe it comes from the way we think and where our confidence lies. For example, we know our bodies and how much sleep we need to function properly, yet we continue to sleep late because we've gotten used to a certain bedtime routine and used to waking up still tired. Or, we fool ourselves into believing that we work best under pressure so we think getting major assignments done closer to the due date is actually beneficial, but overtime we are burdened with the tasks and get overwhelmed with anxiety and stress. When we realize that its time to change our habits, we find it easier to create new bad habits than good habits.
Dr. Leaf said that we are more controlled by our subconscious than our conscious. It's harder to follow through with our intentional decisions because as man thinks in his heart so is he Prov 23:7. Our reactions and habits are built based on our subconscious thoughts, since we are not thinking consciously 24/7. So in order to build new habits, you need to change what your unconscious thoughts are through repetition and intentionally focusing on the thought you would like to wire into your brain. I know it sounds weird when your read it, but I believe it works and I will be the proof of that in 21 days.
I'm pretty sure we all have some habits we'd like to break. Creating new habits is not like a New Years' resolution where you magically reset on January 1st as a whole new person. It takes time, about 21 days actually. 21 straight days without breaking. It also takes diligence and dedication. It may seem hard, it probably is hard, or maybe not depending on the type of person you are and your level of determination.
I'm pretty determined to work on my habits and remove my toxic thinking patterns. Writing this blog post will keep me accountable of that so I can't just not do it, you know?
But yeah, this article does a really good job of breaking down what Dr. Caroline Leaf's book on removing and building new habits is about.
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