Reflections on Habits

Washing our faces every morning, fastening our seatbelts when getting into a car… These are fundamental habits we perform daily without much thought, yet they serve as protective routines that keep our daily tasks running smoothly.

They are simple because when we repeat them, we do not engage in serious reflection. If we did, human societies would constantly be planning and replanning every single step. On the other side of the coin, however, these habits offer us speed and convenience. The routines we acquire through constant repetition are generally similar and beneficial. Yet, when we attempt to make more serious decisions and take significant paths—beyond the simple habits we barely notice or feel the need to reflect upon—things begin to change.

Today, many people seek to make correct and effective decisions and follow the right path. In our professional lives, when we encounter problems and challenges, we often act on impulsive decisions—relying on our habitual patterns—without sufficient time for thought or analysis, and frequently end up failing. When we lack adequate time for reflection, fail to conduct proper analysis, and make decisions under accumulating stress, we exhibit a reflex to seek quick results. It is as if we close our eyes and hope for a favorable outcome. Conversely, there is the illusion that adopting opposite behaviors to our usual habits will lead us to a solution. This also leads us to generalize people as emotional decision-makers.

I believe that decisions and habits are interdependent and meaningfully correlated. What is overlooked here is that while we assign serious meaning to decision-making processes, we neglect the role of the decision-maker’s own habits and discipline, reducing them to an abnormal and meaningless state.

Yet, when we make serious decisions in life, we should pause as if taking a deep breath before diving into water, measuring how we will react and how long we can endure. Whether in our social or professional lives, we hope for positive transformation through change. Of course, even this decision-making process is inherently painful.

However, when we dive into the water, our immediate reflexes, hopeful wishes, and imagined thoughts carry us only so far. Our ability to resist the waves and depth of the water depends entirely on our habits. Our habits determine the direction and strength of our decisions. We have repeatedly demonstrated this: after a stressful and poorly performed exam, we promise ourselves we will study harder for the next one; we comfort ourselves with the thought that we will sleep early tonight just as we did last night; we treat certain dates as turning points in our lives. In all these cases, the very habits we repeatedly ignore are the ones standing right before our eyes and capable of delivering substantial personal gains.

Our habits are fundamentally acquired patterns that are difficult to change. They are deeply intertwined with our emotional and cognitive memories, rooted like the roots of a tree. No matter how much we prune our way of life, no matter how often we start over, the same trunk and branches will inevitably reappear.

Every step we take, every learning and experience we undergo, whether consciously or unconsciously, adds to these habits. It is vital to remember and never forget the scope of their influence, their impact on us, and even the habits and discipline we impart to others. At this point, we must pause and reflect not primarily on the decisions we will make, but on the value and power of the environments we inhabit and the habits we have acquired within them.

Making decisions, embarking on a path, taking action—these are undoubtedly important for us. But regularly cultivating good and sound habits at consistent intervals will create opportunities for us to reveal our potential and better understand ourselves.