Habits That Bind Us

Imagine Gulliver lying on the beach, waking up to find himself tied down by hundreds of tiny ropes set by the Lilliputians. Each single rope he could have broken easily, but the mass bound him down. He was hopelessly stuck.

Our habits can be like that. Each single habit can tie us down to old ways and stop us moving forward. We may not even be aware that they are there. Some are very useful. They save us having to think. It’s like driving your car. I expect that most of the time, you can do it without thinking about it. The habits that work well for us are fantastic as they give us stability.

Of course, not all habits are good. Many are formed early in life and we don’t bother to examine them to find out if they are still valid. An example is always trying to please people and never saying ‘no’. Others like eating the wrong type of food, smoking or drinking excessively can harm your health.

You may think that your habits are what make you the person you are and that you can’t change them. I believe habits are learnt and built over time, so they can be unlearnt and broken; if you choose to. It requires you believing that you are stronger than your habits.

Like Gulliver and his ropes, we are bound by a multitude of habits. It is important to try and break one at a time. This is not always easy, (see last month’s morsel) as we tend to resist change. If you want change in your life, then you will need to learn new habits and that requires effort.

Having a coach, who will support and challenge you, can assist you in this change. If you would like to know more about breaking the habits that bind you and gaining more freedom in your life, then please get in touch.