Break Your Habits to Keep Them
The new year has always intimidated me.
There's so much pressure to change and improve and just begin. Begin what? It doesn't matter, as long as you don't break the new habit ... because once you do, it’s unlikely you’ll pick it back up.
Habits. We're obsessed with them. The morning routines and regimens. We've gamified them — closing rings and beating streaks.
It's almost as if the habit itself is more satisfying than what it's providing us.
When it comes to habits, we've got the how down pat. We can rattle off the when and where and who of our resolutions. But, after day one, how often do you question the why?
Habits teach us discipline and help us enhance our lives subconsciously and routinely. But how do we recompense for the guilt and shame we feel when we break a habit or fall out of a routine? Do we structure our habits to compensate for when we break them?
On the The Long Game podcast, we spoke with David Kadavy. He'd been following Naval Ravikant's 60-day meditation challenge and deliberately chose to take a break on day 90.
"Because f*ck streaks," he said, on our podcast. I loved it. My business partner Alex did the same with Duolingo.
When habits become obligations instead of intentional learning or life improvement, they start to work against us. Sometimes, breaking a habit can teach us its value — or if we need the habit at all.
Take a day off from your routine every week or so; don't become attached to habits or streaks for streak's sake.
Moreover, breaking habits keeps us present. Habits add subconscious improvements to our lives, but they can also automate so much of our living. Present-minded people make for the best creators.
Did you start the year off with pressure or peace? Allowing yourself to break your habits can help you achieve the latter.
This post was written as a part of Ship 30 for 30. Read the original essay on my Twitter.
