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The Law

Habit - II

Our existing habits, if left to themselves, will create our destiny. It need not be so. Habits can be changed. Changing is a habit is our choice. Changing habits, by no means, is not easily done. It is a process which requires analysis of the habit, belief that we can change a habit and the will to change the habit.

Every habit is initiated by a choice that we make. Some of those choices are deliberately done, some not so consciously made. Say, I have joined a new job. What do I do when I reach my office on the first day? I reach office 10 minutes earlier, go to the washroom, punch my card, swipe my assigned desk, fill up my bottle of water and  pull the in-tray towards me and start my work. When i repeat this sequence day after day, that turns into a habit. After that happens, I hardly have to consciously focus on executing the sequence. I do the sequence automatically like a programmed robot. There are many smaller habits within each of those actions. Now after this sequence is internalised, I am comfortable till this sequence is not interrupted. I get upset when something happens to disrupt the sequence.

Towards the center of the skull is a ball of tissues called Basal Ganglia. The habits get stored here. A person who has sustained damage to other parts of the brain with the Basal Ganglia intact will continue to execute his habits but other functions of the brain may get impaired.

Whenever we tray out something new, the entire brain gets on the alert. Let us take an example of logging into our desktop. When we did it for the first time, we searched for the power on switch. We focused on the various cues provided by the software to click here and then click there, log in our passwords. If the desktop needed a long time to boot, we got worried. The brain was busy, thinking and analysing on what could have gone wrong. After a few times, our confidence level went up. After the entire process got internalised, we could do the process automatically. We went on "auto pilot" mode. The Basal Ganglia took over and activity in the other parts of the brain became low key. We were then able to do something else, while the desktop was booting. Our habit for logging into the desktop was formed. 

The habits, thus allow the brain to rest allowing the brain to indulge in other activities. Imagine the how stressed the brain would have been had it to remain engaged in executing all that we do, starting from how we tie the laces of our shoes. The brain would have collapsed. Thus, on the plus side, habits increase the productivity of the brain.

In his book, "The Power Of Habit", Charles Duhigg explains that the researches have established that any habit is a three step process. The process starts with a "cue" or "trigger", which sets of a sequence of actions or "routine" - mental, emotional or physical -  and culminates in a "reward" to as a result of following the habit. The researchers called this a 'habit loop".

This process is true for any habit - good or bad. The brain can not discern between a good habit and a bad one. Habits, therefore, can become a blessing or a curse, depending on what they are.

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