Of habits

Right now I am bringing a few new habits into my life. One of them is a dramatic change to the way I eat. Another is adding movement exercise back into my life.  

I have found a couple of things useful as I develop these additions and enhancements to my life.

The first, ironically, is not to think of them as new habits. For me the word habit implies that something is a chore; I am not going to have fun incorporating this into my life. It also implies that it is something I can gain, but also something I can lose.

The things I am now building into my life are not negotiables. They are my new 'MO'; the way I am going to live from this point onwards. These will then becoming building blocks for other things. They may change and grow, but they are so important that losing them as a habit is no longer an option.

The second is that I do not have to nail these new habits (or perhaps I should say practises or something else instead of habit!) right from week 1. Changing my eating means changing my shopping, how I cook, where I eat out. Learning new movements involves different coordination and new daily routines. These are not insignificant changes, and especially early on I will not be able to incorporate all the change I want to.

The important thing is that I start pointing myself in the direction I want to go. Small changes are key at this point, and all the incremental changes will be of benefit and move me closer towards the new state of being. Mistakes and failures do not mean I should give up on my 'habits'. They do not mean I am never going to make it. It means that I am in the process of learning and incorporating, and they are to be celebrated.

Alternate worlds, just around the corner

When we are in a routine it can become efficient in getting things done. It is also efficient in blinding us to other worlds that are on our doorstep.

There is no need to travel overseas to become aware of and observe new cultures. A simple change in routine can uncover the secret worlds of those around us.

For example, taking a break from your normal work day and driving or walking around an unfamiliar area to see what other people do while you are at your desk. For me I discovered how many people hang out in cafes during the day, and the number of professional sporting teams that practise out in the open for all to see.

Or waking up really early to see the pre-dawn worlds of many. I discovered that the streets are filled with cyclists at 5am, and that so many people are out walking their dogs.

These may seem like inconsequential learnings, but they disrupt the pattern in our brains and create the opportunity for new, creative, innovative thinking to occur, and for new meetings to happen.

There are many ways to break a routine, and here are few more suggestions requiring minimal financial and time investment:

• walking or driving a different way home
• reading a book from a genre you typically avoid
• arriving at a destination much earlier than usual
• going to a meetup with a group of people you know nothing about

If you have other ideas of simple ways to uncover new worlds, let us know in the comments.