Break The Patterns

Habit is our second nature.

But why should you be ruled by the second nature and not be free as the first?

Your habits are your convenience, and nothing convenient leads to evolution. Comfort zone is "made" in such way so that you don't want to let go of it. So, you don't go beyond it. You don't see beyond it and you don't see what you are beyond what you (think you) are now.

Get out of the cozy armchair and break it all; all the patterns.

Start simple and everyday.

Do some of your activities in a different order than usual. You know, the ones that are like a ritual; the ones you do the same way every morning or every evening. Those that you do automatically.

Drive to your work following a different route. Not the one where your hands know and turn the wheel at the right time, before you even see which road is in front of you.

Dust off with your left hand if you're right-handed or your right hand if you're left-handed.

Stir the food while making the same change.

Avoid that second consecutive cigarette you smoke when you feel stressed or sad.

Sleep on the other side of your bed than usual.

Sleep early if you used to sleep late. Sleep late if the normality you had imposed on you was to sleep early (even when you weren't particularly sleepy).

Try not to fill your schedule, if you used to do this every day. Try to have a day full of activities, if you didn't do that until now.

Break the patterns. Not for one time or one day, but for more.

And observe yourself. Think of it as a game. For the sole purpose of seeing what happens.

Then try other, slightly more complex things.

Send a message and don't hang over the phone waiting for a response, if that's what you've been doing so far. Send a message and clearly ask for a response, if you've never done that so far.

Try saying "no" to a favor they ask you for, if "yes" has been your constant response so far. Say "yes" if that's rarely how you've responded to a request for help.

Are you are easily disappointed when something doesn't end up as you expected? Well, try reacting differently the next time things don't come up as you planned.

Pause, if you've been "running" non-stop until now, pushing the limits of your physical endurance on a daily basis. Say "this is where you usually stop, dear self. Today let's take it further", if you usually stuck to a certain "line" of your endurance.

Respond directly to one of those things you usually thought too much about. Think before you respond to something you usually responded to impulsively.

Break the patterns; not necessarily to keep the new attitude. But to see what happens.

Break the patterns and watch how you are in this uncharted territory. Observe yourself outside of your comfort zone.

How does this exit affect your mind, your body, your environment? What questions does it raise? Do you have the courage to answer them?

Who is the self that will make you feel safe outside your comfort zone? Do you have the courage to face it?

Who is that new person? Is it more skillful? More flexible? Is it more trained in front of changes? Is it more "ready" for the unexpected challenges that will surely come? Is it freer?

Habit is our second nature. But freedom lies within the First, the Original one; the one that has all the skills enclosed. Help yourself remember...

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Anthi Psomiadou — CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International : Credit must be given to the creator/ Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted/ No derivatives