Should we really inculcate good habits?

Hi friends!

Today, I was just thinking about the importance of habits in our life.

We have been taught since our childhood that we should always form good habits and should keep away from bad habits. Good habits are like true friends that will always accompany us all through our life. On the other hand, bad habits are our own enemies that will create troubles, sufferings and failures in long run.

It's true that habits do help us carry our life on auto-pilot mode. When we keep doing the same things routinely, it becomes our habit. In fact, what we do in a specific circumstance and the way we do it becomes deeply ingrained in our sub-conscious. E.g. when you drive on the same route from office to home, if you get busy in your own thoughts & memories or are lost in listening to some soothing music or perhaps your attention is on the conversation happening through your mobile phone; all these distractions hardly interfere in your driving. You will unknowingly turn the steering wheel on every turn in the routine direction. Suppose one day, you need to get to some other place on your way to home. To reach that place needs a slight diversion from your regular route. But while driving, if you get busy with any other occupation; you will realize that you were supposed to go to that place only once you reach your home. But how did you reach your home when it wasn't your intention? It's because of your habit!

There are many things we do unconsciously out of our deeply ingrained habits. Our habits make our lives easy. But should we really need to form any habit to cruise through our life? This is the question I was pondering over today.

Of course, habits are necessary to some extent for performing various tasks through our childhood. But to achieve higher spiritual goals, we should unlearn all our habits. Yes, unlearn all and don't form any new habit!

Now, this may look like something against what we have been taught so far. But to attain the higher realms of consciousness, habits are an obstruction. Habits means, we are doing something unconsciously! Most of the time our activities ain't conscious and are guided by our subconscious. But the true purpose and meaning of life is achieved only when we do everything consciously. Even if we are doing the same tasks repeatedly or routinely, we don't surrender ourselves to the habit but we do it consciously every moment. That's what the term,"living in the moment" means to me.

I often find it difficult to live in the moment or to be conscious every moment. It's probably because of my old habits. If I try to unlearn some of my old habits, it will certainly decrease my efficiency initially. But learning to do everything consciously do take some time. Ultimately, I want to make a habit of doing everything consciously and not out of the habit!