The Oracle of Omaha and Berkshire Hathaway Chairman, Warren Buffett once said that “chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.” This quote resonated what Benjamin Franklin forwarded centuries ago: “It is easier to prevent bad habits than to break them.” Fixation on habits transcend generations because it determines how well we live our lives; it is the validation of our existence. Despite this, we still get lost on details that we oversee what we repeatedly do day-in and day-out. It takes a more mindful approach to make good habits and break bad ones. Here are lists we can make to bring our current and aspired habits into consciousness AND evaluate them.
Meals and snacks
Food fuels our systems in an instant, but healthy food protects it for the long haul. Whether we desire to manage our weight or not, it helps to know what we put into our bodies. A list of daily meals and snacks does not only provide insights into dietary maintenance and changes; it also gives allied medical and medical professionals a grasp about the effects of food on our physiological activities. Such knowledge can lead to a more holistic approach to our health and well-being.
Finances
A list of income and expenses might be daunting, but it is a key to sound financial decisions. Through such list, we’ll know how the money comes in and how it gets out. It allows us to cut back on unnecessary expenses, make room for savings, and prioritize significant purchases and investments. It also prevents stress and anxiety inherent in uncontrolled, unmonitored financial situations.
Personal growth
Lifelong learning is critical to one’s self-fulfillment. Knowledge of the steps taken that lead to personal growth shows that we make time and effort for ourselves amidst mounting responsibilities and commitments. Such list may include our passions outside of home and work, formal and informal classes about desired topics, or small gestures that enriched our day-to-day lives.
Socialization
We are social beings. We thrive when we are surrounded by the people we value. Of course, we also feel down when faced with negativity. A list of how we spend our time and with whom can help us in cultivating our non-negotiable relationships; it can also help us in deciding to break away from relationships that do not serve our well-being.
New habits
Nobody’s perfect. We see our promises and commitments broken, but this shouldn’t keep us from moving forward and creating better habits to enrich our lives. A list of desired habits with a concretize plan of execution is the first step, a written proof of our intention which can prompt us to act, do, and follow through with needed consistency.
As award-winning author Annie Dillard pointed out, “How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.” Turning our habits from implicit to explicit knowledge is important. It is a form of self-evaluation that can lead to a more mindful existence. No matter how little these habits are, these ripple into days, months, and years that make us who we are.