Habits

My writing class (The Habit of Writing) introduced me to the study of habits. Habits provide a foundation in our lives (supposedly 40% of our day is made up of habit), so it's proven worthwhile to study mine. Gretchen Rubin argues in Better than Before that it is always beneficial to know oneself well enough to be able to guide the formation and breaking of habits. She even has a quiz to help: https://gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2015/01/ta-da-the-launch-of-my-quiz-on-the-four-tendencies-learn-about-yourself. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg also helps to illuminate how to take control of habits.

For me for years the habit that I most recognize that I keep is my morning routine. It's a bit of continuing revelation about what I need in any given day/week/month/year, but taking time to journal and set an intention is something that I read about, tried, found helpful, so kept doing. This fall I incorporated brushing my teeth with my left hand (I read it's good for your brain) and flossing (my dentist friend insisted) to my evening routine. Building a new routine did seem to go according to Rubin's advice. At first I tried flossing in the morning, but I never leave myself enough time in the morning, so it very often got moved to the evening. I ultimately decided that evening would be the right time when I'm not in such a rush. Paying attention to those kinds of patterns is at the center of what I have learned about keeping habits.

Interestingly, Eddie Glaude writes in Democracy in Black about how important it is for us to UNLEARN racial habits. Even with that, self-awareness is key!