Our Habits By Linda Stowe
The other day, as I was brushing my teeth, I realized that I always start on the top right. I don’t think about it; it’s just a habit. In fact, every single thing I do in that little routine is so automatic that I barely register it. That’s the chief value of habits: we perform them without thinking, and they free us from having to make a decision at every turn.
But before something becomes a habit, it begins as a ritual—something we do with intention. When we were young and just learning to brush our teeth, the whole process was a ritual. We had to think about each step, trying to get the sequence right. The most common mistake children make at that stage is misjudging how much toothpaste to use. It’s easy to squeeze out a thick glob that ends up smeared in the sink.
By the way, the official term for that glob of toothpaste on a brush is a nurdle. Toothpaste manufacturers coined it to help teach the public about proper brushing techniques. A nurdle is the correct, pea-sized amount of toothpaste you’re supposed to use—though good luck convincing a five-year-old of that.
Fast-forward about eighty years, and here I am brushing my teeth again, suddenly realizing that nearly everything I do each day runs on habit. All the old rituals have faded into automatic motions. And while that efficiency has its perks, it does make me wonder whether I’m drifting a little too close to living like a robot.
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Polly here.
I know. I’ve said it before. I live a lot of my life by routine. By habit. By repetition. My schedule.
I imagine many of us run on “autopilot” for a good portion of our days. It just makes sense, really. As Linda mentioned, there is the brushing of our teeth. And then there is everything else. Getting dressed. Watering the plants. Doing our laundry. Fixing our food. Cleaning the kitchen. Feeding the cat. And on and on.
I think it is good when we have a little variety. But I don’t live by those words, too much. And yet? Every so often, I will switch up the way I do something or change the place that I put a certain thing. And whenever this occurs, my muscle memory always kicks in. No matter how hard I try, for the first umpteen times, I always seem to go to the old “spot.” This goes on until the new habit is formed.
A lot of our behavior in this way is efficiency in motion. “A place for everything and everything in its place.” That way, we know where to go when we need the scissors. Or a jar of peanut butter. Or a car key.
I think our lives are often better because of these routines. So long as we don’t forget to be our human selves, ready to live in new and good ways whenever we get the chance.
Love,
Your Pollybot in Repetition
