Humans are creatures of habit, as much as we try to deny it. I am a creature of habit. You are a creature of habit. We are all creatures of habit. Habits are not a bad thing. For example, healthy eating, getting enough sleep, exercising, and listening before speaking are all healthy habits to have. Habits, if healthy and constructive, can help us to grow.
On the flip side, habits also have the potential to be destructive. How many times have you heard of something being referred to as 'a nasty habit?' "He has a nasty habit of being late," "she has a habit of interjecting in conversation," "they have a nasty habit of smoking."
But what about those 'nasty habits' that aren't as obvious? Those ones you might not even think twice about?
I'm talking about getting into the habit of being so ingrained to your routine that any slight deviance throws you off for the rest of the day. Constantly apologizing...for everything. Staying in toxic relationships just because they are comfortable (and I'm not just talking about romantic relationships).
These habits come from a place of comfort, but not all comfort is healthy. As mentioned above, habits can help you to grow however, if your habit is staying within your comfort zone, no growth will occur. Plants that need sun do not thrive in the shade and nutrient rich soil will lose its prosperity when nourishing the same crop year after year. To avoid this, there are habits, or lifestyle changes, that can help such as being open to change and realizing that you can not have control over everything.
The world is constantly changing around us. Nothing remains the same; not people, not technology, not politics, not even nature remains constant. Imagine if what we knew about science and health remained in the Dark Ages. To grow you must remain open to change.
Control. Control is a tricky word and an even trickier habit to have. In life, there are a few things that we have control over, such as; how we spend our time, who we choose as our friends, the amount of effort we put into our work and how we react to those around us. There are those of us, however, who feel the need to be in control of everything all of the time. This need for control actually stems from an insecurity in their own lives. These people might always need to be first, have the final say or might have issues delegating and issues trusting those they work with.
Be weary of your habits and always check the purpose behind them. Are they helping you to grow? Or are they hindering you or another from growth?
