Breaking Habits is Hard To Do

No matter what angle I take when working with clients, in some form or fashion, the reworking of their workspace will ultimately be affected by their habits. One of the things I love about physical space organizing is the immediate, tangible difference it can make in how the space feels and functions. It’s like adding a fresh coat of paint to a room—it instantly changes the space. And while the decluttering, purging, and reordering process is important and definitely mandatory to true organization, the deeper work is understanding the systems, processes, and habits we currently have (or don’t have) in place.

The authors of “The ONE Thing” note the difference between discipline and habit where discipline is the drive and motivation to develop a routine and habit is what makes the routine stick. So which is harder—breaking old habits that no longer serve us or forming new positive ones?

With the process of organizing a space, I suggest it’s easier to form new ones—especially because the new space lends itself to that. It is harder to break old habits because it is comfortable and what we know, but as soon as you rework your workspace, there is a new map, grid, and template to follow. The grooves are not quite as etched in stone anymore, as they were with the old space. There is a learning curve, but definitely a new path has been paved.

But if reworking your workspace provides the blueprint to form new habits and break old, how do we go about being more conscious of our habits and making intentional changes beyond our physical space? There are tons of books on this topic and the field of psychology has study after study to better understand the brain, how it works, and why humans do what they do. The fascinating part is the research that’s been done and discovered. However, just as fascinating is what researchers and scientists are still learning and trying to figure out, much of it only in recent decades.

So, what is a person supposed to do if they are, most importantly, ready to tackle their bad habits straight on?

First, identify your habits. Become aware of them and take note if they are helping or hindering you. When you find one you’d like to modify, break it down. Get curious about why and when you do it, what emotions are involved, and how you could begin to change it. List out these different ways to change the habit as steps and then practice those steps one at a time until it starts to feel better. For lasting change, practice the modified habit for more than 66 days.

I challenge you to start drafting your blueprint to the change you desire today!