The alarm goes off at 6:00 AM. You roll over, swipe left to snooze and go back to sleep. 10 minutes later, the alarm goes off again. Your eyes flicker open, you fling the sheets off and your feet touch the floor.
You head to the washroom, brush your teeth, grab your towel and hop in the shower. You finish your shower in eight minutes, towel yourself dry and step into your room. You apply moisturizer, pull on your clothes, run a comb through your hair and you are ready.
Welcome to the world of habits.
What is a habit?
A habit is an action that has been repeated so often that it has now become an inextricable part of our life. Most times, habits are unconscious behaviours. When was the last time we brushed consciously, noting the way the bristles swiped over our teeth?
How do habits form?
Habits form deceptively easily: when we do something enough times, it becomes a reflex. And whatever we do repeatedly, we become. Did you know that even sadness is a habit? The good news is, so is excellence!
Be it bad habits or healthy habits, the power of habit itself is exceedingly strong. For example – when you wake up in the mornings, your first instinct may be to reach for your phone even when you don’t want to. You try putting it on airplane mode the night before, you leave it across the room so you aren’t tempted to touch it as soon as you wake up. You may even stow it away in another room.
But to no avail. All too soon, you find yourself slipping back into the same old habit.
This was certainly not the case when you were a child. The mobile phone wasn’t available to you then. More importantly, your habit was different. Your first instinct back then was to jump out of bed and get ready for school.
Reaching for the phone in the morning is indicative of many other habits – instant gratification, seeking distraction from reality and lack of discipline being just a few.
Another piece of good news: changing all this is very much possible and it is very much in our hands!
THE BRIGHT LINE RULE:
In the spring of 1966, a man named Ernesto Miranda was arrested in Phoenix. The police had very little to go on, but they suspected Miranda of kidnapping and raping an 18-year-old woman ten days earlier.
The officers interrogated Miranda for two hours and were rewarded for their effort: Miranda admitted to the rape charge and signed a confession paper.
There was just one problem. During the interrogation, Miranda had been alone and at no point was he informed that he had the right to legal counsel.
When the case went to trial, Miranda’s written confession was used as evidence. He was quickly convicted, but his lawyer appealed because Miranda had never been informed of his rights and thus, according to his lawyer, the confession was not voluntary.
The Arizona Supreme Court upheld the decision, but eventually the case made it to the United States Supreme Court.
The United States Supreme Court overturned the Miranda ruling by a vote of 5 to 4 because “The person in custody must, prior to interrogation, be clearly informed that he has the right to remain silent, and that anything he says will be used against him in court; he must be clearly informed that he has the right to consult with a lawyer and to have the lawyer with him during interrogation, and that, if he is indigent, a lawyer will be appointed to represent him.”
The Supreme Court had just created a bright-line rule, the Miranda Warning that is today narrated by every police officer making an arrest. Without this warning, any confession or evidence of a crime is void in court.
The Miranda Warning: You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?
Now, what is a bright-line rule? It refers to a clearly defined rule or standard. It is a rule with clear interpretation and very little wiggle room. It establishes a bright line for what the rule is saying and what it is not saying.
The Miranda ruling is one example. If a police officer fails to inform a defendant in custody of their rights, then the suspect’s statements are not admissible in court. Plain and simple. Clear and bright.
Breaking the Habit:
Why this anecdote? Well, when we want to break a habit, creating a bright-line rule is pretty much essential. Otherwise, just as a rapist like Ernesto Miranda walked free, so too will our mind take a freefall down the slippery slope of lazy, bad habits.
Do you remember your New Year’s Resolution?
I’m going to spend less time on my phone this year and more time reading, for example.
I’m going to spend more time in Nature and less time indoors, perhaps.
‘Less’ and ‘more’ – two of the most common refrains in breaking or forming a habit. But when broken down, they are vague promises; fuzzy, fluid concepts that hold little to no value.
If you want to break a habit, begin by replacing it with a concrete, iron-clad new habit.
This year, except Sundays, I’m going to read from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
This is ‘less’ and ‘more’ in solid wording. This is a resolution that can be followed because not only does it break an old habit, it creates a new one with a break day where you can watch Netflix so that you are not tempted to give in on the other days (😊)
This year, I will go down to the beach on weekend mornings, from 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM.
This is ‘more time’ brought to life. Here is a solid resolution again that will stand the test of time because it outlines exactly what you plan to do.
Concretizing new habits to break old ones primarily helps in two ways:
- You hold yourself accountable: When your habit is broken down into an action plan, there’s no excuse to not do it.
- You have clarity: Outlining your new habit in the form of timings, location and days lends clarity. There’s no thinking involved anymore; it’s all about doing.
The Habit Books:
Want to create a successful habit system in your workplace or at home? Look no further than the classic, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey, which speaks about creating transformational change in your life by changing your habits. Here’s a quick look at the seven habits:
- Be Proactive
- Begin with the End in Mind
- Put First Things First
- Think Win-Win
- Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
- Synergize
- Sharpen the Saw
Looking to break your old habits by creating new ones? Atomic Habits by James Clear is the go-to for all things habit. As the tagline of the book promises, it’s all about tiny changes and remarkable results. Getting back on track even when you veer off course is possible with Atomic Habits.
Ultimately, be it breaking the habit or creating the habit: as author Charles Duhigg says, the real power of habit lies in the insight that your habits are what you choose them to be. His book? The Power of Habit.
So, what are you waiting for? Get to breaking and creating now!
The Bright Line Rule concept and Miranda Warning anecdote has been quoted from James Clear’s article.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Still unsure about how to start building new habits? No worries! The FAQs below are sure to answer any remaining questions you may have.
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