Conscious Habits

What's are conscious habits? And why are they important? 

Well, in general, a habit is an activity that’s performed regularly.

Everyone has habits. Some are helpful, some are neutral, and some can uproot your entire life without you even realizing it.

Most people run on unconscious habits. These are routine activities that have been adopted without much thought.

Think about some of your current daily activities... how you brush your teeth, how you dry yourself off after a shower, how you get dressed in the morning... all things you likely picked up when you were younger.

Conscious habits, on the other hand, are those we choose to create. They help us lay the unshakeable foundation on which a purposeful life is built.

Conscious Habits are the cornerstone of creation

At first, conscious habits require a little mental, emotional, and physical energy. But soon, less and less energy is required, and what was previously a conscious choice eventually becomes automatic.

"We are what we repeatedly do..."

So doesn't it make sense to automate your actions in a way that serves your highest interests?

It’s not obvious to everyone, but habits are the cornerstone of creation. They provide the single greatest leverage when it comes to change, and you have the power to consciously choose them...

When you look at a forest, it’s hard to see a single tree. When you look at a lawn, it’s hard to see a single blade of grass.

Yet, this is what your habits are: actions that, when repeated over and over again, create something much bigger.

"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate."

—Carl Jung

How to choose the best habits 

Creating a conscious habit first starts with choosing who you want to be.

Take a minute to imagine what kind of person you want to be 3 years from now. Jump ahead in time and do a little role-playing. Seriously, close your eyes for just a minute, and picture yourself 3 years in the future...

Where are you? Who are you with? And most importantly, what are you doing on a regular basis?

Once you have some sort of picture in your mind, write down a list of 3-5 tentative activites that you see yourself doing on a regular basis. These are the habits that you've imagined your "future self" has already established.

No need to be specific here, keep it vague and general. Each activity on your list need only be a word or two.

Here are some of the most common habits people like to start with:

  • Exercising
  • Learning
  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Networking
  • Investing
  • Meditating
  • Yoga (stretching, breathing, etc.)

Once you've jotted down a few ideas, pick two or three that get you most excited about your future... Which would you enjoy doing the most?

Cross out or delete the rest.

Now, of these few you have left, think about the one that would have the most impact on your life... Which one would be the most meaningful to you?

That’s your habit.

Playing the long game

Keep in mind that the habit you choose isn't technically a "habit" until it's been established and has some sort of automaticity in your life. Until that point, it's simply an activity that you're choosing to do on a regular basis. 

So whatever you pick, make sure that it's something you'll still be interested in a few months from now.

Of course, there's room to change it up if you end up not liking the activity, but there's certainly a point of no return when it comes to establishing a new habit. 

When you're starting a new habit, you're playing the long game. There's not really a finish line to look forward to; you just keep going and going until you eventually realize there is no finish line at all. 

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