We all want to live in the now, but can you imagine what it would be like if every time you drove a car it was like the first time you were behind the wheel? Rather than trying to be free of habits, I think the “strategic deployment” of habit makes more sense.
photo by tquiddle
We can’t be aware of everything in the present moment, no matter how mindful we are. Our sense organs are only equipped to perceive some of what is happening – certain limited wavelengths of light, for instance. Even within this range, it’s not possible to be aware of all of our sensations at once.
William James wrote that a baby’s initial impression of the world is “as one great blooming, buzzing confusion.” As we grow and learn, we create filters on what we perceive: categories, expectations, and stories, or what psychologists call “schemas,” that structure our attention to help us focus on what is important to live, grow, and achieve our goals. We learn a habit of paying more attention to our parents than to others because we experience them as the bringers of food and comfort. As we go through
life we filter out more and more information on a habitual basis.We usually only become conscious of a habit if it stops working because the situation has changed, or when we need to learn a new skill. At these times – like being behind the wheel of a car for the first time – everything is new and we have to think about a lot of things at once, and are frequently overwhelmed. Once we learn to run on “autopilot,” we are free to think about other things. New habits, once established, can be a tremendous relief.
Yes, we want to cultivate mindfulness. Being aware in the present moment is very important for learning a new skill like driving, and also for experiencing beauty, joy, and connection. However, we must recognize that these moments of presence will inevitably give way in the next moment – either to old habits, or, sometimes, if we are skillful, to the cultivation of new habits.
One method for strategically deploying habit is to tie a new habit to an older one. My parents cultivated some healthy habits in me like brushing my teeth every morning and evening. As an adult, I was able to develop a new habit by deciding never to brush my teeth in the morning until I’d taken my vitamins. I also have a “rule” that I don’t shower in the morning before I exercise. This creates a much stronger habit of exercise, reinforced by my habitual desire for the physical comfort of showering, and by the social norms of cleanliness. Another example is that in order to avoid running out of gas, whenever I pass a certain gas station in my neighborhood, I check the gauge.
The strategic deployment of habit also involves being aware of the times when a lack of a habit can be a problem. For instance, I know that if I remember a task that needs doing that is not a habit, I had better do it immediately or write it on a trusted to-do list, because I can’t count on remembering it again before it needs to get done!
There are even some habits that we can cultivate that help us avoid getting stuck in undesirable habits. The scientific method is a structured set of habits and practices to get us outside of our assumptions about reality, to test those assumptions and to be able to see things we didn’t expect. Daily free-writing and other structured exercises to enhance creativity are another example. Meditation is also a way of cultivating habits that help us to be free of other habits. Some traditions of Buddhist practice even include ways of using habitual, every-day actions like brushing our teeth or washing the dishes as opportunities for expanded mindfulness, thus using existing habits to cultivate the new habit of mindfulness.
It’s kind of like Odysseus, the Greek hero, who wanted to be able to hear the beautiful song of the sirens without jumping overboard. In order to do this he plugged his sailors’ ears with wax and had them tie him firmly to the mast. Knowing how strong and important habits are in our lives, rather than trying to avoid them, we can practice becoming aware of them, and use them to cultivate mindfulness, creativity and awareness. Then we can use our mindfulness practice to in turn cultivate new and healthier habits.
by Rebecca S. Krantz, PhD
Many Stones Consulting, LLC
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