“. . . watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” (Lao Tzu, circa 5th century BCE)
“We are what
we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is
not an act, but a habit.” (Will Durant,
1885-1981)
Make it your habit to give charitably in order to develop the virtue of generosity. Make it your habit to speak truthfully in order to develop the virtue of integrity. Make it your habit to practice good manners in order to develop the virtues of gratitude and kindness. The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle taught that good behavior must be practiced until it becomes habit, and that habit, in turn, will shape character. Aristotle further stated that good character is necessary in order to flourish. In modern psychological parlance, this state of flourishing is equivalent to self-actualization. In ancient Greece, this state of flourishing was called eudaimonia.
American
psychologist and philosopher William James spoke to educators about “The Laws
of Habit”. James believed that the practice of good habits was essential in a
child’s education. Lecturing in the
early 1900’s, James speculated that habits, repeated over and over, lead to the
development of new pathways in the brain.
He gave as an example the novice piano player, struggling to coordinate finger
movement with the sheet music. Yet after years of practice, that same individual
becomes a musician able to play complex music, almost automatically, while
simultaneously carrying on a conversation with others. As a result of practice, something changed in
that musician’s brain. We know that repetition
leads to ‘motor memory’. Yet what James lectured about encompassed far more
than just motor skill. He was talking
about the development of brain pathways essential for self-discipline and self-mastery.
A few years
ago, a journal of child psychiatry cited the following numbers. It takes 6,000 to 8,000 hours of practice to
become a concert pianist or a competitive swimmer. It takes 2,300 hours of learning to master
higher math. It takes 1,200 hours to be
‘good’ on the violin. I would argue with
these numbers and point out that the article omitted the factor of talent and
aptitude. I assume that after 8,000
hours of practice I would still be neither a concert pianist nor a competitive
swimmer. But the point is, even for
those with talent, a tremendous amount of practice, discipline, and good habits
are prerequisites for excellence.
I got out of
the habit of writing. It's been many
months since I’ve written a blog entry. In
order to get past the writer’s block, I’m trying something new. I’m trying to develop the habit of daily journaling. I’m going on two months and, so far, haven’t
missed a day. However, I feel like that novice piano player, fingers still
fumbling around for something to write about. But I intend to keep at it. And like
that piano player, I expect with time and practice the writing will flow more
easily. I just hope it doesn’t take 6,000 to 8,000 hours of practice to get
there.
