Do you have the tradition of setting up new year resolutions? If so, do you find it hard to sustain after a short while? Have you ever wondered why are healthy habits so hard to establish?
A while ago, I came across the New York Times Best Seller, "The Power of Habit," by Charles Duhigg. The book has a lot of thorough researches with fascinating data points. What struck me in particular is the fact that majority of our daily decisions is actually habitual; meaning we don't process through before we act. It is almost like our brain is set in the cruising mode.
I am particularly impressed with the chapter about how Target uses their sales data to project the need of their customers and it is very eye opening to see how the static numerics can come to life when it is analyzed and applied organically.
I remember I was sitting in Panera Bread at the moment sipping my morning coffee when I was digesting the food for thoughts of that chapter. And suddenly, an enlightenment came to my mind. What if we can instill a habit of daily scripture reading into the kids lives. If that habit can weave into the fabric of their lives the same way how coffee is to ours, the impact can be transformational.
I used to think that thoughts ought to come before actions and habits are established through will power and determination. But when I read these few sentences from "Brick by Brick: How LEGO Rewrote the Rules of Innovation and Conquered the Global Toy Industry," it gives me a very different perspective.
[Y]ou don't think yourself into a new way of acting, you act yourself into a new way of thinking . . . we believed that thinking is paramount-that thoughts turn into action. But it's actually the opposite. When you act your way into a new habit, the habit becomes your opinion about how you should do things, and that opinion becomes your character as a person or as an organization.
Small daily actions can be so powerful. Indeed, small daily actions will form habits and which in turn drives our destination. If you are in the process of setting up new habits, but struggle to keep it up, hope the principles outlined in the book (cues, routines and rewards) will bring you some insights and tips to get your habit stick. Here is a very good summary of "The Power of Habit." Check it out if you don't have time to read through the whole book. http://www.deconstructingexcellence.com/the-power-of-habit-summary/