how do habits work for you all?

[wispfox]

One of the books I read for one of my class talked about habits as if people do them without thinking about it. I don't think I do that - even brushing my teeth and flossing are things I have to use mental energy to start. And if I want to do them well, bring mindful about it is necessary.

I think the closest I get is getting dressed in the morning - but that's largely because I have clothing set up to be without many decisions required. So I grab the clothing and put them on, but even then I still have to think about it to not have them inside out and buttoned up right if they have multiple buttons.

Do your habits require any energy to initiate? Do you do them well or right even without paying attention? I'm trying to understand why the book would talk about adding additional habits to existing ones to make them habits as well.

I do wonder if this relates to my difficulty doing anything (except class or work, which require that) more regularly than every two weeks, or exercise that isn't because I have another reason besides exercise to do them.

And doing things that require scheduling even as often as every two weeks. Of course, I know scheduling and estimating time is really hard for me, so that last bit may be that.

Comments

[corvi]

I use habits as an aid to remember to do things that ought to be done every day or nearly every day but which I might otherwise forget, like feeding the chickens. I don't know if it makes things easier, but it does make me more likely to remember them.

Habits that aren't fairly frequent don't "take" for me. I use google calendar's emailed reminders to remember things that are done on a schedule, but not a daily schedule, like washing the bedclothes, which I do every two weeks in theory (somewhat less often in practice).

For things that have to be done at irregular intervals but have a specific trigger, like "check shirts for cufflinks whenever you do laundry" I tape notes to things (like the washing machine).

Things that have to be done at irregular intervals with no particular trigger I can tape anything to, like buying paper towels, I just forget. I haven't yet figured out how to tape a note to the lack of paper towels, so we're still out of paper towels. :)

[wispfox]

"I haven't yet figured out how to tape a note to the lack of paper towels, so we're still out of paper towels. :)"

Ha! Yes, it would be awesome to be able to label a lack of things!

[matildalucet]

We seem to have settled on putting an almost empty object on the kitchen table, which gets in the way of daily food prep. I might shuffle it out of the way, but keep it on that table until replaced because it is annoying and I will buy the replacement just to get my space clearer. Right now, there is a toothpaste tube there and I know that does NOT go into tonight's supper, so I see an errand in my near future.

Also, lists. If I actually look to see if there are any spare paper towels in the cupboard instead of assuming there are when reading the grocery list, we don't run out. This doesn't always work because I've been using the same spreadsheet-stuck-to-the-fridge method for years and I sometimes skim when I shouldn't. Still works better for us than assuming anything. My Morning Lists are half in my head (upstairs stuff) like a chant, half on a scrap of paper over my desk (downstairs stuff) because I do NOT do them in the same order every day. My life would be smoother if I did, I think, but I don't so I need a reference. I do have it ingrained now to at least LOOK, whether or not I do the things.

[siderea]

TOOTHPASTE! I knew I was forgetting something.

[lb_lee]

Do your paper towels have a rack or spool they go on? If so, I can think of writing "buy towels!" On the naked spool so once the towels are gone, the secret message is revealed!

[siderea]

Yeah I don't try to remember things that way – I try not to rely on my memory at all. I have a literal list of things like paper towels that I need/want to keep in stock in my house, and when I'm preparing a grocery order, I walk around the house checking all the things on the list, and checking them off if I don't have them and they need to be added to the grocery order. (Or if I were going into a store, they go on to my shopping list to take into the store.)

The list lives on a wiki, so I can access it on my phone.

Grocery orders are not an ad hoc thing. I do one every two weeks in a regular time slot, and it's on my calendar.