Three times this past week I ‘wasted’ time because I was doing things out of habit instead of remembering that things had changed, however momentarily. By the time, I had done my hat-trick, that’s when the penny dropped, when it clicked. I realised the power of habits. Or was reminded of.
So working backwards from the one that sent the penny to the floor! Lol. There was a temporary change in the staff car park for 2 days. On the first day, I drove to work and the car park was unusually empty. And since it’s my default thinking (another power of habit I had to work on! Topic for another day. Maybe), the first thought that came to my mind was that people were tired and hadn’t just come to work early! I was almost beginning to feel like a G!
When I finally remembered seeing an email the previous evening on my way out of work about the advised change of parks! So I wangled my way out and went to the ‘new’ car park.
Come time to go home, I walked the ‘long road to freedom’ to the ‘old’ car park and when I was nearly there, I remembered I had parked in a ‘new’ place that was a much shorter walk to freedom than the old. (Sorta like being a new creature in Jesus!)
That 180° turn around was what sent the penny dropping! I had walked that way so many times day in, day out, that the temporary change of plans, sorry, plans did nothing to set me on the ‘right’ path till after I’d had my taste of the old! Then I came to my senses that the ‘new’ had come!
The older example was on my way to Bible study last week, I started driving the way I’d usually take to work and didn’t realise till a few hundred yards in. I blamed it on my being tired as I really was. But again, therein was a default action taking place or should I say, a greater default as I drive that way 5 times a week and the way to church 2-3 times a week. Not that different but obviously one is more dominant.
So you know I have a point. And if you’ve been reading carefully, you’ll probably have caught a glimpse of more than one point that could have been made about my habitual default actions.
But let’s stick to the power of habits. If I can make a habit of the things that add value to my life to the extent that my conscious mind is not even aware that I am doing it, then I can become a better person everyday. I can free my mind to deal with other issues.
I’ve heard it said it’s almost like driving. Where you drive from home to a regular destination like church or work and by the time you arrive there all you remember is getting into the car. You have no clue of the in-between, not even what you were thinking! Almost like you kidnapped and drugged yourself! Lol . . . That’s not my story yet! Just read my previous post on my driving history! Haha . . . Still a work in progress!
The things that add value to my life – spending time with GOD; being conscious that GOD is really with me and acting accordingly; speaking encouraging words and compliments to others; choosing joy as my default; choosing praise as my go-to; choosing GOD’s WORD as my ultimate; choosing peace as my armour; and so on.
So let’s find the one thing we want to become habit and work at it till it actually becomes habit! Find triggers that will remind you what you want your default action/response to be and pursue that till it is firmly rooted and grounded in your subconscious!
To your establishing great life-building habits by GOD’s grace, . . .
Comentarios