“Nothing is stronger than
habit.”—Ovid
After thorough studies, researchers at
Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, United States came to the conclusion
that forty percent of human behaviour is a function of daily habit. Also, I
once heard a peak performance expert claim that up to ninety percent of what we
think and do is influenced by our habit.
Whether one accepts these estimates or
not, the importance of habit in human life cannot be ignored by anyone who really
wants to be in positive control of his or her future. For the proactive, the
author of the book, “Superhuman by Habit, Tynan, puts the following position forward,
based on his own personal study of a number of high achievers in the world. He
wrote:
“Exceptional people aren’t that way because of
who they are but because of what they do. In every case, they have a set of
habits that have led them right to the top of their fields.”
In the same vein, we can logically state
that average people are equally placed in the realm of mediocrity because of a
certain set of habits that they have. This frank realization spurred my
curiosity and got me asking: what are habits,
how are they formed, and how can we take charge of them?
To answer these questions, I will
share with you the direct words of some great thinkers on the science of habit.
And first, let’s see what the French philosopher, mathematician and physicist, Blaise
Pascal had to say on the subject. He said:
“Habit
is a second nature that destroys the first.
But
what is nature?
Why
is habit not natural?
I
am very much afraid that nature itself is only a first habit just as habit is a
second nature.”
Think for yourself on that profound
insight by one of the greatest intellectuals of the Western history. Right now,
what I need most from Pascal’s deep thought is the first sentence:
“Habit is the second nature that
destroys the first.”
Here in lies the central theme of this
article: science
of habit is a tool that can be used to make up for what we lack in any form of competency
that we seek. This is to say that whatsoever we are yet to
accomplish or whatever challenges we may have right now; we can solve (or
improve) them all with the inculcation and permanence of the right habits.
Habit—a repeat performance— is a gift
from our Creator to help us become whatsoever we earnestly desire to become.
And it boils down to this: consistent implementation of the necessary actions and right
behaviours with almost no cessation. I think this is what the
majority of us find a little difficult to do. Don’t you think?
In the his book, “6 Months to 6 Figures,”
the entrepreneur and author, Peter Voogd shared a powerful poem on the concept
of habit, which I believe will benefit you greatly, if you understand and apply—religiously—
the message it solemnly conveys.
The poem aptly expresses my thought
that the knowledge and usage of habit is all we need to get to wherever we want
to go, if we are serious enough move—no matter the roughness of the road and
the length of the distance.
Write down the poem and study it from time
to time. Yes, the material is that powerful.
I have personally entitled it as: “What Habit Is and A Way to Profit from Its Use.”
Here it goes:
“I am your CONSTANT companion.
I am your greatest helper or your
heaviest burden.
I will push you onward to success or
drag you down to failure.
I am completely at your command.
Half of the things you do, you might
as well turn them over to me. And I will be able to do them quickly and
correctly.
I am easily managed but you must
merely be firm with me.
Show me exactly how you want something
done, and after a few lessons, I will do it automatically.
I am the servant of ALL great men and master
of ALL failures.
Those who are great, I have made great.
Those who are failures, I have made
failures.
I am not a machine, though I work with
the precision of a machine, plus the intelligence of a man.
You may run me for profit or run me
for ruin, it makes no difference to me.
TRAIN ME and be firm with me and I
will put the world at your feet.
Be easy with me and I will destroy
you.
{Please read this very line aloud: Be
easy with me and I will destroy you.}
Who am I?
I am a HABIT.”
Peter Voogd
{Peter Voogd has been labeled the
leading authority for millenials and entrepreneurs by Entreprenuers.com.}
If we implement the idea from that
long poem, our lives will take a dramatic turn for good. But if we neglect to use it, the study of
habits also reveals that habit is a two-edge sword that can either work forcefully
for us or ruthlessly against us.
As the above poem shows, I want you to
read {no! study} these lines again and again:
“You may run me for
profit or run me for ruin, it makes no difference to me.”
Whichever
you choose will determine whether I…
“I will push you onward to
success or drag you down to failure.”
Why? Because
I…
“I am your greatest
helper or your heaviest burden.”
And
I…
“I am your CONSTANT
companion.”
{You can never do away with me, as
long as you are alive.}
Habit is neutral. It doesn’t care what
we choose to use it for, but it acts strongly on our choice—whether conscious
or unconscious. Therefore, we must consciously choose to use it for our own benefit
and the good everyone around us.
However, you should remember that a fine
habit may be hard to build but it is always nice to live with, while a bad (ugly)
habit may be easy to form but it is certainly not nice to live with. And this
is where I shall stop my writing today; now, the rest is up to you.
Lastly, few words are enough for the
wise: learn to live better.
Good luck!
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