Ashwin Kumar
. 28th Aug, 2024 1:55 PM
One may say, "Oh, I can't help myself; it is my nature to be this way. I am naturally lazy." Wrong! It is not our nature to be lazy, but our nature to act out of habit. Our habits then create our nature. In other words, the actions we repeatedly do become habits, which then form our character, which, in turn, shapes our future.
We are what we repeatedly do, It is said watch your thoughts your thoughts becomes your words, your words becomes your actions, your actions becomes your habits your habits becomes your character and your character becomes your destiny. We make our habits first and then our habits make us.
Habit good or bad is the unconscious behaviour of a human being and it becomes the part of a person’s personality.
A research shows that a person’s life and his personality is the reflection of the expectations of his peer groups, at times habits also are formed because of peer group pressure consciously or unconsciously. So it is very aptly said by Anthony Robbins ‘Who you associate yourself with is what you become’.
Aristotle taught, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." Good habits are our best friends. Because we perform them unconsciously, they free us to concentrate on other useful endeavors. On the other hand, the opposite is true for bad habits. They encumber us, enslave us, and weaken us, preventing us from moving forward in our lives. Habit is either the best of servants or the worst of masters.The paradox is, we make our habits, and then they turn around and make us
If that is the case, why many of us are not getting rid of our bad habits and replacing them with good ones? Well, it's not that people don't try, but that they don't understand how to go about it properly. It is not willpower that is needed to change our habits, but understanding. We need to understand some basic principles, which when followed, will lead to success.
Habits are like an engine of our car. Good habits move us forward; bad habits set the car in reverse. Now and then we should look out the window to see which way we’re driving. Does it make any sense to keep going if we’re driving the wrong way? Those who want to improve their lives will replace their bad habits with good ones.
So, if you want to renovate yourself, let your greatness shine through, and become the person you were meant to be, you could start today by carrying out following steps listed below.
1. Become aware of your bad habits.
Since you perform them automatically, or without thinking, you will first have to bring them into your consciousness before you can change them.
2. Monitor the seriousness of your bad habit
Let us say you have the bad habit of watching too much TV. Watching TV is not intrinsically bad, but if you find household and other chores are being neglected, you have a right to suspect a bad habit has its grip on you. At the moment, you have the vague feeling that you are spending too much time before this mesmerizing, modern invention. But how much time is "too" much? You decide to check by monitoring your behaviour and discover you waste on an average 2 1/2 hours a day. But to better appreciate the impact of this bad habit, you do some calculations and realize that you waste 17 1/2 hours a week, almost three days a month, or more than one month a year. More than one month a year? That is one year every 12 year. You didn’t realize you were wasting so much time! Now that you understand the gravity of the situation.
3. Examine the motivation.
Since you perform them automatically, or without thinking, you will first have to bring them Ask yourself, "Why do I watch so much TV?" Isn’t it to escape, to numb the pain? Escape from what? Perhaps escape from thinking about some of the chores you should be doing. Numb the pain of what? Perhaps the pain of guilt, regret, and shame for not doing some of those important chores. Oddly enough, if you do the chores, you will not experience the pain and therefore will not have the need to watch TV! Not only that, but as you do the chores, you will learn that the pleasure of accomplishment exceeds that of the pleasure of watching TV.
4. Examine the consequences.
What am I losing by watching too much TV? It’s time to move away from the generality of "chores" to the specifics. As I pause and think about what needs to be done, a couple of items immediately come to mind. Shouldn’t I be caulking the windows before the snow begins? And what about the front door that lets in too much cold air during the winter. If I seal it properly, I will reduce my heating costs. Now that I clearly see what is at stake I am motivated to carry out some home-improvement, as well as self-improvement.
5. Just think what you must do immediately to get rid of bed habit-
List out all ways and actions you must take to get rid of this habit
6. Decision time!
Now that I’ve gathered the facts, it’s time to unleash the power of choice and decide to act. Let’s pin it down. Which project will I work on first? What steps are involved? What do I need? How will I begin? Hey, this is easier than I thought; let’s start now!
The habits are unconscious programming of our mind and body and we can learn to reprogram it for good.
