The 8th Habit might be called the habit-breaking habit. The first time, I struggled to escape a habitual. The second time, I perhaps struggled a little bit less. The third time, the effort was still great, but my experience informed my escape. Now, with decades of experience, I have a bit of a clue about what to do. Something different helps, and the difference need not seem particularly significant at the start. A 1% shift, persisted over time, can make a huge difference.

The 8th Habit, unlike the other seven, observes rather than simply engaging. It holds a perspective in reserve to judge whether the rut’s working this time, like it seemed to work every habitual time before. The 8th Habit reveres difference. It injects a spitball into play. Not everyday, but when necessary.

Without an active 8th Habit, all the others seem wooden, non-resilient, stuck.

©2012 by David A. Schmaltz - all rights reserved

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