Habits...Opportunities and Pitfalls

Many writers have signalised the importance of habits, especially micro habits, or so-called atomic habits, due to their importance in shaping our personality, identity, and future. They considered them as an accurate and continuous vote on the personality that one seeks to achieve. The concept of atomic habits has been used by many writers, the most famous of whom is James Clear, the author of “Atomic Habits, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones”. In his book, he shares his sensational experience in surviving an accident that almost killed his ambition in life, especially his athletic ambition. Instead, he turned it into a dazzling and inspiring success by focusing on acquiring good daily habits, which we usually neglect amid life’s concerns, annoyances, and achievements, whether big or small. Who would think, for example, that daily attention to the bed and organizing the bedroom would positively affect physical health, fitness or achievement? Who would think that attention to the type of clothing would improve job performance or even athletic achievement?

Charles Duhigg, the author of the book “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business”, is one of the authors who highlights the importance of habits and how to successfully acquire and maintain the good ones and get rid of the bad ones. It is an inspiring and enriching book in that field and contains a lot of scientific experiments involving the importance of habits. Duhigg explains the importance of the loop (cue → routine → reward) in the continuation of a habit and the importance of breaking that loop to get rid of our bad habits or create them to acquire good habits. Another book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey, lists a set of practices, or habits, commonly practised by successful families and successful people. Although he lists these practices in a way that is far from being related to atomic or micro habits, I thought it was important to mention that aspect.

One of the most relevant books is “Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World” by Admiral William McRaven. The book helps its readers face failure and loss with the courage needed to build the strength to get up and move on. The importance of considering major successes and achievements not as the result of an isolated heroic act or a moment of triumph separate from the daily routine of life. Rather, they are the results of a series of daily persistence in the face of routine challenges, resisting the tendency to laziness and giving in to failures in those daily routines. It also considers adhering to these small daily routines as a part of major successes and a way to reach them; even if the latter are delayed. Furthermore, the sense of accomplishment in performing these small tasks motivates us to reach the delayed major ones. The book does not only push the readers to the limits of their potential but also to exceed it by paying attention to the usual or usually neglected details of daily life. Hence, accomplishing them becomes an asset and a stepping stone to other successes. The book contains practical advice that reflects the author’s experience, accompanied by inspiring stories from his own life and personal experiences as a member of the US Navy SEALs.

Nevertheless, American psychologist William James was the first to note the importance of habits on the individual and society. He considered that living beings are nothing but “bundles of habits” and that 99% of human activity occurs due to habits. He even stated that all our lives are nothing but a pile of practical, emotional and intellectual habits that are systematically organized and carry us irresistibly towards our destiny, whatever the latter may be. While writers have emphasized the importance of habits in the development of human life, especially in enhancing the efficiency of our mental and social abilities, they have also warned of their danger, as the Swiss philosopher Carl Hilty considered that the main issue of life lies in bad habits. He emphasized that humans must have good habits to fight the battles of life.

In this series of articles, I will recount the importance of habits and the need to commit to improving them as a new lifestyle, giving examples that will make it easier for readers to start applying these skills to transform habits from weaknesses to strengths. I will also share some of the most effective strategies researchers and writers have come up with to acquire good habits and get rid of bad ones, such as ‘Habit stacking’ and ‘Implementation intention’, just to name some.