Where to begin? What to do? I’m initiating this blog in a state of timorous hesitancy. I haven’t the faintest clue how to blog. I don’t know the etiquette, much less the tools at my disposal. I’m unsure as to where this journey of inquiry will take me, but I find myself fixating on a peculiar topic: The Power of Habit.
I began casually reading this seemingly insignificant book during the summer and found myself transfixed by the concepts within. Though undoubtedly the intention of the author, I couldn’t resist being captivated by the idea that I was not simply deficient in willpower, and that there is more at play. Over the years, I’ve had ups and downs in different areas of my life. I couldn’t understand how I so easily mustered the motivation to exercise one year, then the next I would completely lose my groove. Here, hidden away in an unassuming bookstore, was an epiphany waiting to force me to reassess my life; past, present, and future.
It would be reductive to label human biology as unspeakably sophisticated, especially when we consider the human brain, and the psychology thereof. It’s easy to get caught up in our conscious thoughts and forget how much heavy lifting is being done by our brains without our knowledge. So much of our life is dictated by conditioned behaviors that we are entirely unaware of. This book is making me aware of the fact that my environment has influence over the behaviors that my brain chooses to facilitate, and that I can stimulate my brain such that I can make desired behaviors effortless, or even automatic. I’m left wondering how to apply this information, and to what end. More to come.