New Year Resolutions | Happiness through Action | One Mini Habit at a Time
December 22, 2014 3 Comments
It’s the Winter Solstice as I write this, and a new moon. I posted earlier today a blog https://digesthis.wordpress.com/2014/12/21/happy-winter-solstice-new-moon-be-like-water-aboriginal-dreamtime/ mentioning the fact that it’s a good time to initiate new activities and plant seeds; coinciding with these events on our horizon. Certainly the pagan celebrations of the solstice must be the origins of the tradition of ‘New Year Resolutions’.
At this tipping point, it’s a good time to dive in.
As we all are inspired by certain images and have ideals we wish to reach, here’s what I have to say. Happiness is not so much derived by a thing, but by what you do. Sure, having something that is an excellent state-of-the-art tool is great, yet it’s what you actively do, what you craft through your actions, that results in feeling excited, enthusiastic, joyful and a sense of accomplishment. It’s through performing activities and being immersed in them and witnessing the little thresholds of achievement and just knowing the work that was put into it, that we derive happiness.
I’ve recently come across a post of a freelance writer’s guide, in Episode #20 of the International Freelancers Academy. The topic is to forget goals, and focus on habits instead. Ed Gandia states that more than 40% of the actions we do every day are not due to conscious decision making, but habits! When we are doing something habitual, we are not using all of our brain; we’re sort of on autopilot. Our minds are hard-wired that way. The mind chooses neuropathways that are already developed, the path of least resistance. That means that as we develop new habits, we’re already on our way to effectively driving change.
Specifically, he talks about creating new mini habits.
Charles Duhigg has a TED talk about his book The Power of Habit.
You can not eliminate a habit, you can only change it for a better alternative.
Though we all have various goals, often they are out of reach because we are holding them out there in front of us, and not actively participating in them. And like standing on the edge of the diving board frozen with fear, the longer we wait to dive in, the more the fear envelopes us. With this in mind, the smaller the better, so as to not intimidate yourself.
I’m working on this right now; forming new mini habits which I gradually embrace and do more of: stretching, reading, writing, composing music, contributing to the book I’m writing.
The other side of the coin, is just being present and mindful of what you are doing at that time.
Language is important as well, because this is how we visualize and conceptualize. Eliminate ‘trying to, would like, wish to’…and
The point of developing Mini Habits, is that when we bring an action down to a small size that isn’t intimidating, we can easily jump in. Notice my change in words! Certainly, diving, jumping or just sliding in to an activity rather than looking at it from a distance, is enough of an action in itself, to push through a threshold; to consistently build new habits – gradually raising the bar of quantity and quality. Whoops, I guess that by virtue of being of western culture, the future concept of goal, slides into the picture. Best thing is to just do what makes you happy and be present as you’re doing it and go with the flow.
Don’t ask me why I’m on a Bruce Lee kick, so to speak,
it just so happens that the meaning is the important gesture 🙂 Focus on what you wish to aim for, not on what you don’t want.
True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Among many other achievements, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is the author of the fabulous book “The Little Prince“.
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I cannot agree more with your points on developing habits that lead to happiness. I have tried for several years now to impart this type of wisdom on my 20 years old daughter. I did some studying on doing handicrafts to thwart depression. My findings were very similar to what I just read in this article. I loved your words, “It’s through performing activities and being immersed in them and witnessing the little thresholds of achievement and just knowing the work that was put into it, that we derive happiness.” My own state of happiness has been peculiar to many people. I am a firm believer that my habits and my ability to produce things has everything to do with that despite my circumstances, which are sometimes dire.
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