The Habit Society

⚡️ Mom, I’m borrred

To: Society Members

Good Morning!

Curfews, closures, cancellations… Boredom is all around us this year. Groundhog Day vibes eh?

Mom, I’m Borrrred

New habits elicit a positive emotional response, right? We feel proud, satisfied, and as accomplished as the early GameStop investors. But then, we get good at the habit, we get used to the habit, and our sense of accomplishment gets replaced by a far less rewarding feeling—boredom.

Drip Drop

People get bored, people need novelty. Apple comes out with a “new and improved” iPhone every year—suspicious? Morning Brew writer, Toby Howell shares his Apple theory in a short and insightful tweet: “Apple and other smartphone makers have already developed crazy battery technology that could last 3+ days, but are holding it back so they can drip new releases out over the course of 10 years in order to consistently ‘improve’ each subsequent model.” Even though Toby discloses he has no evidence, we kinda buy it…(literally). Apple knows we love new and shiny things.

Well, it’s the same idea when it comes to habits, particularly exercise. As satisfying as a run may feel, it can definitely get boring after a while. So, if you can relate…

How do we overcome it?

We’ve got some options.

Do some tweakin’… Add something fun to your habit. Change it up a bit. Tired of doing yoga for the 127th time? On day 128, do some HIIT, try an online spin class, climb a mountain. We don’t know—go wild! Indulge in novelty.

Or maybe, enjoy the boredom… Boredom may be the antidote to long-lasting habits. How unsettling would it be to know that perhaps the only thing stopping you from achieving results is just…boredom? Not your lack of innate abilities or willpower, but just the fact that doing 30 squats a day is boring. Instead, try embracing the boredom, loving the boredom, appreciating the boredom. Who knows, maybe being bored will stop being so boring.

As James Clear puts it, figure out how you can “fall in love with boredom when you’re trying to build a habit that you know you should do but don’t really want to do.” Oftentimes, the most successful people are the ones who can handle the boredom of doing the same task over and over.

Here’s a not-so-boring game for you. Guess the word:

Here is some 17th-century wisdom for ya from Philosopher Jean de la Bruyère:

Two quite opposite qualities equally bias our minds—habits and novelty.

Yep. And that’s why we’re here to merge the two.

And, some 21st century wisdom from good ‘ol James Clear:

Success is often found by practicing the fundamentals that everyone knows they should be doing, but they find too boring or basic to practice routine.

A few weeks ago, we wrote about how to utilize small pockets of idle time and wanted to know how you guys use yours. Here are some ideas:

Jody: Something I’ve been trying to develop as a habit while I’m waiting (in line, for an appointment, etc.) is to take the time to meditate. You can meditate with your eyes closed or open.

The practice can be focused on becoming hyper-aware of the present moment: the feeling of your breath in and out, all the sounds and smells, the temperature of the air, seeing your surroundings clearly, identifying any emotions you’re feeling, etc.

I find this “gets me out of my head” and prevents me from feeling negative emotions typically related to waiting for something (stress, anxiety, frustration). Instead, I feel calm and grounded.

Peggy: French press = exact time it takes to empty the dishwasher. Red light = reminder & time to pray (about anything in your heart). Brushing teeth is a great time to do a wall-squat.

Back to us. On today’s topic, how have you guys tweaked your habits to provide novelty? Or, how have you learned to embrace the boredom? Reply here.

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