World of Habits

“Don’t blame the child for forgetting lessons; make the lessons unforgettable.” – Sonam Wangchuk

I have actually forgotten what title I should put for this blog… I wanted to write earlier but I forgot how busy I was… forgetting… is it an excuse or is it real that we forget?

According to Dartmouth university… There are seven -(7) reasons, Why we forget…

1. Negative self-concept: we think of ourselves forgetting things.

For me, this is true because I give power to what I focus on. When I keep conditioning (programming) my mind that I am not good at remembering… will it come true? Most likely… Well, it’s time for me to change my focus… and I can use some great tools to help me to remember.

2. We have not learned the material well.

If something is to be retained, it must be correctly, clearly and forcibly impressed on the mind. We must give it the necessary attention and interest. Self-questioning and spaced or periodic reviews are essential.

Learning is like cultivating a habit… the more you do (repeat), the longer it stays. Whether it is a good or bad habit (where you get outcomes that are not helping you), it will stick. Perfect practice, makes perfect.

3. Psychological reasons: defensive forgetting

Generally, unpleasant things are remembered better than pleasant things (especially by pessimists), and both pleasant and unpleasant things are remembered better than materials we are indifferent to.

Then, this is a matter of choice… and whatever the choice is, there will be a price to pay (outcomes and consequences).

4. Disuse

Memories fade away rapidly when not reviewed or used. But “forgotten” material can be relearned in less time than is required for the original learning, even after many years’ disuse. Even material that we do not relearn has undoubtedly been transformed into attitudes and values that form the foundations of our judgment. Education pays in spite of all the details that are forgotten.

This is like keeping things and after awhile, we tend to forget about them… then one fine day when you discovered the forgotten things… they are like hidden treasures… or in other words, once we learn how to swim or ride a bicycle, the skills will be there, we could be “rusty” and the skills can be retrained to gain the confidence and stamina.

5. Interference due to emotional problems, anxieties, distractions, intense concentration on something else, and intellectual interference

Intellectual interference or mental overcrowding can be minimized if we reflect on our reading and experiences, understand them, clarify them, associate, and organize them so they will not interfere with each other. We must avoid cramming and overcrowding our learning hours with unorganized material. There is more interference between two similar subjects than between two unlike subjects. (Follow study of history with chemistry rather than English history or literature.) Furthermore, there should be rest periods at intervals to allow the brain to lie fallow. Continuous undifferentiated activities apparently fight for a place in the memory. Since we cannot be awake without thinking, it should follow that there is more loss of memory for learned material when one is awake than when one is sleeping. (So study and then sleep.)

Learn to “chunk it down”… accomplish with small actions and as long as we keep moving, some how, we will be able to complete the journey / task. Take a rest if we must… to recharge, rejuvenate… then start again until we finish the journey / task. For me, sleep is important, days when I have lack of sleep, I will be experiencing brain fog, cannot concentrate and remember things… though some may feel that, if I were to put more waking hours to do the things I want to do… that is being efficient and that does not mean that we can be effective in getting better results.

6. Changed Cues

Recall what happens on tests. You studied the material one way, the test question was presented in another (cues were changed). If you learn material with too great dependence upon the phraseology of the textbook, you may be at a loss to remember some of the material if you cannot recall the exact wording of the text. As with your outlining assignments, restate or rephrase the ideas in your own words to insure remembering.

We can use tools to stimulate and remind us… triggering us to remember… some of the tools that I use will be:

• paper and pen (sticky notes, cue cards, etc.)
• alarm
• to do list (there are many apps with our smart phones)
• accountability partner
• calendar (in the cloud, phone, computer or planner)

Experiment the tools that will be best for you. Never use, never know.

7. Lack of Attention and Effort

The art of memory is the art of attention-attending to the material WHOLLY. Moreover, there must be effort to remember.

When we put in the effort (taking actions), we will get the results (more or less)… as long as we keep moving, we will reach our destination (provided if we are moving in the right direction…). Thus, planning and preparation is key, then we start to move, we can always fine-tune along the way. We are the captains of our lives… we chart the course and live of lives.

Source: https://students.dartmouth.edu/academic-skills/learning-resources/why-we-forget

“The process of learning requires not only hearing and applying but also forgetting and then remembering again.” – John Gray

“Your habits, your future!”

What are your favourite quotes?

Don’t have one, perhaps you can start with one of these ten -(10) that I am about to share.

I will be sharing the top 10 habit quotes that I can relate to… after sharing the quote, I will put in some of my thoughts about the quote and what the quote means to me.

It may not resonate with you… anyway, these are just my views and opinions. Just enjoy reading and who knows, you can gain something from this blog. Happy reading.

1. “And once you understand that habits can change, you have the freedom and the responsibility to remake them.” – Charles Duhigg
   
   I have a choice to change what I want to, and the choice that I have made, there is always a price to pay. The word freedom to me means having the power to make choices and responsibility means paying the price.
   
   
2. “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks, but I do fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” – Bruce Lee
   
   Focus is what I give my attention and power to. When I am committed to doing one thing until I get the results, the outcome will be great. Meaning when I go deep and learn more about the topic of interest, I will gain more insights and information, versus learning briefly and scratching the surface.
   
   
3. “In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.” – Tony Robbins
   
   Consistency is key in getting results. If I were to be serious in getting what I want, I will need to put in the effort, commitment and daily deliberate actions. Then, the results will come.
   
   
4. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Will Durant
   
   When we keep doing the things that we do, one day it becomes our reality. Like the habit quote #2, FOCUS and putting all my effort to get good at the thing I am doing. It is not one time action but consistent-continuous action that leads to excellence.
   
   
5. “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Ryun
   
   There are times that I get really excited to start a new project or being given an opportunity to provide solutions to some challenges. And after a while, the level of excitement deteriorates… then how can I keep going? By having a process to make it a routine, it does not mean I have to complete everything in one go, I can always chunk-it-down to manageable activity, slowly and surely, as long as I keep going, it will be completed.
   
   
6. “Failure is only postponed success as long as courage ‘coaches’ ambition. The habit of persistence is the habit of victory.” – Herbert Kaufman
   
   During my journey in getting to where I want to be, I will face many disappointments and failures. What I have learnt from my past journeys, failure is part of the process and it is a feedback telling me that I may be focusing on the wrong action. As long as I keep going and having the right mindset to fine-tune (improve), I will somehow get to where I want to be and reap the rewards… hence there is a saying… “The journey is the reward.”
   
   
7. “Positivity is like a muscle: keep exercising it, and it becomes a habit.” – Natalie Massenet
   
   Like the weather, I will experience rainy season… no matter how long the season last, it will pass. The sun will come out again… so, it is a reminder to myself that no matter how bad the day is, tomorrow is a new day. I need to perfect practice being positive to face any adversity until I am used to being positive. And with the positive energy, I can inspire the people around me.
   
   
8. “Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.” – Warren Buffett
   
   I need to constantly remind myself and be mindful that, no matter how trivial the action or behaviour (where I am referring to negative ones) is… I need to ensure I do not repeat it so often until it becomes a part of me. When it does become a habit, it will be difficult to get rid of it.
   
   
9. “We will be more successful in all our endeavors if we can let go of the habit of running all the time, and take little pauses to relax and re-center ourselves. And we’ll also have a lot more joy in living.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
   
   There is no point for me to keep running and not stop to smell the roses along the way. There is a need for rest, recharge and rejuvenate to journey in life’s marathon… normally there will be pitstops and checkpoints… and after having enough rest, I should be continuing my journey to excellence.
   
   
10. “Make it your habit not to be critical about small things.” – Edward Everett Hale
    
    There was an old wise person who used to tell me, “Do not sweat the small stuffs…” Most of my worries were caused by trivial events and people who do not mean much to me. As it is a journey in life, I will definitely go through and meet all sorts of people. As long as I keep my chin up, better days will be around the corner.

There you have it… these are the top 10 of my favourite habit quotes. Thank you for reading and do share which of the quotes is your favourite… or not.

“Your habits, your future!”