The weakness of will drives our worst habits.
Remove the cookies, and we’re less likely to snack on them. Refuse the cafe down the street and drink the Starbucks office Keurig pods instead. That’s $3 saved!
Surroundings dictate our behavior. They are unconscious triggers for experiences.
So the reverse is also true.
Pack your gym bag the night before, and you’ll be more likely to work out the next day. Know what you’re going to write about tomorrow and let it the mind mull it over in your sleep.
With a little preparation, you let the decision thaw. By programming the unconscious, you leave yourself little choice but to follow through.
This is not to say that life is all about repetition. Even the dancer or the author needs rest. Stemming the stimulus is ok. However, it’s not ok to quit just because you broke the chain.
“When the mind is merely consistent it becomes mechanical and loses vitality, the glow, the beauty of free movement.”
Jiddu Krishnamurti, Think on These Things
Creation and discovery is the result of serendipity. Yet, it is smart habits that build competency and help remove the nagging confusion of getting started.