Habits

We all have habits. They’re part of the daily rhythm of our life.  Like a metronome, habits keep us in step and marching to a beat that regulates us every day.  Now, some habits are positive and enviable.  For example, flossing after every meal and walking 10,000 steps every day are both habits I admire.  We have seemingly strange habits that that keep us centered.  For example, I brush my teeth, then shower…and never the reverse.  I have no idea how long I’ve been doing that, but it’s long enough that to do it the opposite way, just feels wrong.  But, there are also bad habits.  I can’t tell you how long I’ve been biting my finger nails or the number of times I’ve tried to stop biting them.  It’s nearly impossible to do it because my finger nails are there all the time!

Finger nails aside, I’ve picked up and subsequently been able to drop other bad habits through the years.  I finally figured out the key to eliminating bad habits.  The secret…the key…the trick is to remove the bridges and accelerators of our habits.  I have a horrible habit of checking work emails that pop up on my Blackberry, when I’m in a meeting.  It’s rude and rarely has there been an email that was so important it needed to be checked and responded to that instant.  But, if that Blackberry is there…if it’s buzzing…you can bet eventually I’ll cave and check it.  So, to fix a problem like that, I’ve simply stopped bringing my Blackberry into meetings.  I removed the bridge and accelerator.

The concept of bridges and accelerators works in reverse too. If you notice a positive habit or one you’d like to start incorporating into your life, you can usually trace the habit back to the bridge/accelerator and then start adopting them.  I always marveled at my friends ability to avoid snacking throughout the day.  I thought it was a will power thing.  Nope, I was completely wrong. She drank a full 8 cups of water throughout the day.  Those 8 cups made her feel full which eliminated her interest in snacking. Smart.

We all have habits.  Some are good. Some are bad. Eliminating the bad ones or adopting some good ones are easier than you might have thought. Just look for the bridges and accelerators.