The Difference Between Habits and Routines
Takeaways:
The world presents a seemingly endless barrage of demands on your time & bandwidth, making the ability to harness our attention “the most important skill of the century” according to attention expert and author Nir Eyal.
To build this skill, we must understand difference between habit and routine. We must adapt the habit of harnessing & protecting our own attention. Eyal notes that a HABIT is defined as “the impulse to do a behavior with little or no conscious thought.”
ROUTINE, however, is a series of frequently repeated behaviors. Not all routines become habits. In fact, only 45% of daily behaviors are habits– and the path to turning a routine into a habit can be riddled with self-defeat and frustration.
It’s important to note that, by Eyal’s definition, many actions cannot become habits. Writers are often told to “write every day” to improve and guarantee output. But Eyal believes that since writing requires such intensive conscious effort it can never- by definition- become something performed by reflex. It can only be intentionally made part of one’s routine. But many actions that help us better ourselves and improve our lives can be.
So how to we make certain routines into habits? It is not easy, but it can be done. First, set intentions. Be clear with yourself about the habit you want to build and start by sticking to it as a conscious routine.
Expect the road to making the routine a reflexive habit to be difficult. Be ready for the discomfort and frustration and do not let it shake your resolve. The best way to do so is to show yourself compassion when you hit a roadblock.
As you try to build the habit of maintaining attention, consciously separate yourself from your phone. Turn off your notifications or “pings” on your computer. Make isolation routine.Never try to bypass or rush “the routine phase” in forming a habit. Without putting in the conscious repetition, an action will never embed itself into your process and never become a reflexive habit.
By Natasha Piñon, for CNBC
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