“Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character.”
—Stephen Covey

Have you ever thought about how many habits we have? Everyday we go through habitual routines without even thinking about them. When you shower and dry off, have your ever noticed that you wash and dry your body parts in the exact same pattern each time? What about driving to work, preparing food, getting ready for bed. Are you consciously thinking of the steps you are taking, or do they just happen like they did the day before, and the day before that?

Now, what about the habits that aren’t that great for us and we want to change? Do we continue to do them without thinking? Or, do we realize that we are on the wrong path and change direction?

One day, my husband and I were heading to the post office and without thinking we started to go to the usual destination forgetting that they had moved to a new building. When we caught our error, we turned the car around and went to the right location. What would be the point in going to the old place, right? No one would be there to help us out. We would not get to mail the package that needed shipping. Nothing good would come out of completing the old pattern except we would have wasted our time and used up a little extra gas.

So why do we continue to follow through on our “bad” habits if we catch ourselves repeating old patterns. Why don’t we turn ourselves around and save our time and energy and get to the desired destination instead? Become conscious of the routines and habits that are not serving you in your journey and get on the right path. As Tuli Kupferberg states, “When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge.”