Habits

"Habits...the only reason they persist is that they are offering some satisfaction...You allow them to persist by not seeking any other, better form of satisfying the same needs. Every habit, good or bad, is acquired and learned in the same way - by finding that it is a means of satisfaction."
Juliene Berk

Have you ever stopped to think about why you do the things you do. Habits have a very useful purpose. They allow you to do things without having to think about doing them, which frees up your mind to concentrate on other things. The trouble is that if you stopped to think about why you had a particular habit, you would realize that there is no good reason for it. The original reason might have disappeared or there might be a better way of doing the same thing. Sometimes a habit is just plain bad for you, such as a habit of using drugs (including cigarettes or alcohol) to avoid problems would be.

It is time to shed some light on your habits. Ask yourself "Why am I doing this? What satisfaction do I get out of it?" Everything you do is for a reason; you do it because it allows you to get something you want, or escape from something you don't want (at least for a little while). The most important question to ask yourself is "Is there a better way to satisfy this need?"

The reasons for some habits are difficult to ferret out. For example, you may be a hypochondriac and complain to people about how ill you are all the time. This would prevent you from doing a lot of things you might want to do. What could be the advantage of this? The reason you do it might be in order to get a lot of attention and sympathy from others, and/ or that it keeps you from taking the risks that are inevitable when you engage with the outside world. Once you know this you can find better ways of getting attention from others and with dealing with taking risks. You can develop new and more productive habits.

Get rid of your old habits by determining what need they satisfy and finding another way of satisfying that same need that serves you better. Don't allow bad habits to persist by not seeking a better way to satisfy your needs. Good habits are essential to success.

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