Going with the Familiar, the Comfortable
- When we attend a class, we sit in the same seat
- We listen to the same songs on our iPod
- We order the same meal at our favorite restaurant
- We drive the same route to work
- We read the same blogs
Do these traits sound familiar? We ARE creatures of habit.
Physiologically, this makes sense. When we get into a habit, it is because we’ve discovered something safe and comforting, something that will not put us in the classic “fight or flight” mode, which means less stress. Less stress is good, right?
When Good Habits Do Bad
However, getting into a habit can also have detrimental affects. They can get us:
- Stuck in a rut - we do the same thing over and over again
- Blind to new things - we become unaware of changes in the surrounding environment, whether it’s the local physical environment, within or without the industry itself
- Into a sense of Complacency - we have a false sense of security that our way will always be the best way
- Unwilling to accept changes - we become conservative, unwilling to embrace new ideas or to see the writing on the wall
- Afraid to lose our comfort zone - we become fearful that we would lose our current status, and would do anything to ensure our habits remain intact.
These and other ill-effects can come from hanging onto an old habit (assuming it was good to begin with).
Periodic Check-up
So maybe I’ve begun to shout more at my kids, or the video store is unaware of Apple’s entry into movie rentals — whatever our habits may be, it’s a good idea to examine them from time to time with an objective eye, to see whether any change is in order.
It might do wonders.
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February 9th, 2008 at 5:52 am
Great article!
I was told a story once about a frog that was stuck in a deep wagon rut. He tried and tried to hop out but couldn’t. His friends all tried to help but to no avail. He said, “I guess I’ll just stay here and get smashed when another wagon comes along.”
A few days later one of those friends saw him on a lily pad and asked him how he got out. He said, “Well a wagon did come along and at that point I HAD to get out!”
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Ron
February 9th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Hi Nez - this is a great point. Even when we think we’re being adventurous, we often do the same old day to day things, like eating in the same restaurant and listening to the same songs.
Hey I didn’t even know Apple did videos now! Is it still just the Disney ones or have they branched out? Can you watch them on your PC or only on Ipod?
February 9th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Hi Nez,
I do some things over and over, but do try to change my routes, as I read that if we drive the same route, over and over, we become complacent and are more apt to have an accident. Taking a new route “keeps you on your toes”
Re: blogs, I do read some faithfully, and will as long as the blogger blogs, however, I do try to add new blogs to my list in order to expand my knowledge, and to give new bloggers motivation to keep blogging.
I get stuck in a rut in some aspects of my life, so your post has inspired me to dig a little deeper and make some subtle changes.
Thank you!
February 11th, 2008 at 9:48 am
You’re right Nez, we’re definitely creatures of habit. Habits are good in that they keep us doing what we want to do, but they have those disadvantages you mentioned.
Maybe it’s a good idea to make a point of doing something different once in a while. If it turns out to be good, we can make it a new habit. If it turns out to be not so good, at least we had some fun experimenting.
February 11th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Indeed, habits are what enables any species to survive.
For humans, thing like hunting skills, farming, education, technology — are all results of habits built upon habits.
But in our own daily lives, it’s a good habit (bad pun intended) to periodically reevaluate our own habits.
Thanks for all the comments!