November 4, 2018
November 4, 2018
I’ve been reading this book called “The Power of Habit.” It’s mind-numbing how much of our behavior is governed by habit. Habits go deep. There was this guy, Eugene, who had part of his brain destroyed by a virus. He wasn’t able to make new memories. After he had moved into a new house, a doctor visited him and ran some tests. The doctor asked Eugene, “When you get out of bed in the morning, how do you leave the room?” Eugene couldn’t answer. He didn’t know. Then as the doctor wrote his notes, Eugene got up and left the room. He went down the hall to the bathroom. The toilet flushed, the faucet ran, and he came back and sat down. It proves that the routines that guide our memory go deeper than memory, or even conscious thought. So much of our lives are scripts that we act out without even thinking about it. But one thing that we’ve got going for us is that we can consciously write those scripts.
It got me thinking about how important it will be to develop good habits right when I get out. I have the benefit of starting out in a new environment with a fresh slate. Whatever actions I take those first few weeks will lay the ground work for the habits that will drive my life. That’s a lot of responsibility. I made a list of some of the habits I want to establish. There are some I want to carry over from prison, like running in the mornings and working out everyday. I need to make sure I write for at least an hour everyday, whether I want to or not, to develop an intimate relationship with my creative muse. I want to meditate daily, to hone my concentration and stay balanced. Attend recovery meetings, cook dinner every night instead of going out, read a new book every week instead of getting sucked into the T.V. But even more than doing certain things, I realized that states of mind become routine. For example, I believe courage is a habit. If I consistently confront my fears, and do the things that make me uncomfortable, then courage will be my habitual response to challenges. Positivity also. If I choose to regularly view people and challenges in a positive way, then I’ll do it with thinking.
However, I know that just as important (if not more) as creating good habits, is not developing bad habits. I, more than anyone, know how bad habits can ruin your life. There’s the obvious things I can’t do like drinking or using, but there is also the more subtle traps, such as co-dependency or having my face glued to my phone.
I know that the choices I make when I first get out are crucial. Those actions will create ripples that will propagate into the future. It seems safe to say that your habits are your destiny.
It got me thinking about how important it will be to develop good habits right when I get out. I have the benefit of starting out in a new environment with a fresh slate. Whatever actions I take those first few weeks will lay the ground work for the habits that will drive my life. That’s a lot of responsibility. I made a list of some of the habits I want to establish. There are some I want to carry over from prison, like running in the mornings and working out everyday. I need to make sure I write for at least an hour everyday, whether I want to or not, to develop an intimate relationship with my creative muse. I want to meditate daily, to hone my concentration and stay balanced. Attend recovery meetings, cook dinner every night instead of going out, read a new book every week instead of getting sucked into the T.V. But even more than doing certain things, I realized that states of mind become routine. For example, I believe courage is a habit. If I consistently confront my fears, and do the things that make me uncomfortable, then courage will be my habitual response to challenges. Positivity also. If I choose to regularly view people and challenges in a positive way, then I’ll do it with thinking.
However, I know that just as important (if not more) as creating good habits, is not developing bad habits. I, more than anyone, know how bad habits can ruin your life. There’s the obvious things I can’t do like drinking or using, but there is also the more subtle traps, such as co-dependency or having my face glued to my phone.
I know that the choices I make when I first get out are crucial. Those actions will create ripples that will propagate into the future. It seems safe to say that your habits are your destiny.
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