Patterns and habits: good or bad?

Have you heard the idea of focusing on developing habits that will get you to your goal, rather than focusing on the goal itself? I’d like to expand on this a bit. At first glance, the idea of creating habits may seem at odds with the typical purpose of personal development practice, which is to break habits. It’s suggested that habits are the patterns that keep us in the loop of unchanging circumstances. Yes, that’s true if we follow these patterns unconsciously and if these habits are not beneficial.

But from another point of view, look at the life that surrounds us and observe how it is designed and works. Our reality is nothing more than a tapestry of different patterns consisting of cycles, circles and spirals. Nature is the clearest example of this. There are no straight lines in nature. Even a branch of a tree is just a pattern of circles moving in time towards its target (light).

When we focus our attention on a future goal, we usually visualize our path as a straight line connecting our current situation with the desired future potential. There is nothing wrong with this vision, as it serves as a compass pointing in the desired direction. But reaching a goal without taking steps in its direction probably won’t happen by itself if we follow patterns in our daily lives that are unrelated to or contradictory to that goal. This is where it’s fair to say that we need to break out of the habits that keep us stuck in the past.

But wouldn’t it be more realistic to say that we need to replace certain patterns with the new ones? If you want to become a writer, create a pattern of writing: every day, for a certain number of hours or pages. If you want to become a more balanced and conscious human being, develop a habit of meditating: every day, at a certain time, for so many minutes/hours. If you want to learn a new language, start memorizing a certain number of foreign words per day. If you want to understand your dreams, develop the habit of waking up at night to record your dreams and analyze them the next day, every day. If you want to become fit, create a routine of daily exercise. If you want to become healthier, develop a habit of starting your day with a green smoothie. And so on.

All of these examples of creating specific patterns/habits are the daily steps that move us toward our prospective goal. Our body, as an obvious part of nature, loves to follow the patterns. Once a new activity becomes habitual, it becomes comfortable, automatic, and we begin to feel discomfort when we skip it. Why not use this natural body tendency to our advantage?

Patterns, due to their circular motion, are the spinning wheels that move us along the path of life. All we have to do is choose which patterns are aligned with our desired destination. And another important task is to stay conscious, aware of the patterns we are using, because at some point each pattern may need to be replaced or updated according to the newer version of our goal, and also because of our own change: we may outgrow some shoes that at the beginning seemed to fit perfectly for our journey.

In conclusion, yes, why not use the patterned design of this reality to our own advantage, creating the patterns that will wheel us toward the goal? But just like breaking the habits, creating the new ones takes effort and focus on the goal. And even if your goal seems too distant and therefore unattainable, properly chosen habits and patterns will maintain your wheels spinning steadily and tirelessly in the desired direction if you make the initial effort to establish them. Not a bad idea, is it?