Do You Have a Habit of Creating Habits?
I do; I'm a creature of habit more often than I like to admit.
For example, I tend to order the same thing at restaurant each time I go there. So, when I want good pizza, I go to Parma's; and when I want a great burger, I go to Mooyah.
By the way, that is a picture of my son eating a 4-Stack, one-pound burger (and me remembering when I could do that too).
Habits happen at work too. As a trader, I draw charts a certain way, prefer certain patterns, and respond predictably to certain emotional triggers.
What habits do you have? Perhaps more important to ask is: What percent of your habits have become so habitual that you no longer notice that they are habits?
Relying On a Routine is a Blessing and a Curse.
I'm typically a happy person. I feel like I roll with the punches well. Part of that is "true"; and a bigger part is due to creating a routine that supports my natural rhythms.
An Exception Highlights the Rule: This week my brother had a baby, and I made a quick trip to LA with the family to celebrate. Even though it was a happy occasion, it is pretty clear that when I travel, and my routine is interrupted, I am much easier to upset.
On the other hand, I'm also much more likely to experience something new when I'm taken out of my routine.
Too Much of a Good Thing. How Can Relying On Your Best Qualities Hurt you?
How many opportunities to create something better do you miss because you like doing what you are doing? A related question is how many opportunities do you miss because you don't recognize the rut you are in?
There are several types of progress; for example, Process Improvement and Discontiguous Innovation. In Process Improvement, creating habits and routines is the stated purpose ... choosing the right ones is the art. With Discontiguous Innovation, it is about leaving the old behind and simply finding a way to get a better result. In my experience the hardest part often simply is remembering that there might be a better way.
Routine is fine as long as it is a conscious choice. Otherwise, it can limit your options unnecessarily.
