Falling into a routine is easy. This week I realized I had fallen into a habit that wasn’t producing good results but I kept repeating it.  I didn’t become conscious of it for some time.

I consider myself a pretty aware person so how did that even happen?

Apparently it’s pretty easy.

Habits are just repetitive behaviors and are wonderful when they are effective and serve a purpose. I consciously develop routines that turn into habits that support my goals. It feels great to stay on track and get things done that are important to me.

But there are also habits that we don’t pay attention to at all. We just repeat them. Sometimes we may be moving too fast and not paying attention to the results of our behavior. Similar to what happens when we’re driving and not paying attention but don’t notice until we miss our exit.

 In my case something grabbed my attention that made me ask “Why have I been doing this???”

When scientists conduct experiments they pay careful attention to any changes they introduce and they carefully record the results. They want to assess the changes that occur with each new behavior.

Learning to slow down and pay attention to the results that occur as a result of our behavior will keep us on the right path. As well as taking the time to understand why we are choosing to do something  at the onset and what we are hoping to achieve.