Addiction to Habits

Per dictionary, Habit is an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary.
The extent to which one acquires these is very interesting. Habits like getting up early in the morning, having a cup of coffee, reading a newspaper etc. are the ones which most people hardly want to change. But how about something like running to read newpaper first in the home no matter what or fighting to sit on the same seat everytime to watch TV. Habits like these not only makes less sense but sometimes also annoys other people.

Here is one such instance in my previous workplace. I was working in an agile project which recommends team members sit in a single room during work hours and also occasionaly (once in few days or so) change seats to improve their working relationships with other team members. A senior team member was against this and insisted to sit in the same place everyday and also argued that changing routine like that reduces his productivity. Well, that might not be main reason for others to think twice before approaching him but was one of them. Sitting in the same place had formed his habit and he could not get his mind to work independent of his seating place.

Some of the habits are not an addiction but feels like they are being done involuntary. Almost every afternoon at 3, I go to starbucks for latte. I am not a coffee drinker and I dont like coffee, but I drink cafe latte in starbucks. The reason may be that its become a routine, a habit. Some days even if I am feeling like not eating or drinking anything, I go to starbucks and drink latte. This is also true with me watching Scrubs every evening on comedy central after I am back from office. I think this is not an addiction because even on the days when I am not drinking latte or watching Scrubs as I had to do something else, I dont feel like I am missing anything. I guess they are mostly developed habits for lack of better work.

A habit is good if it is not affecting you negatively. If it is, then it's about time you re-think your priorities and develop new habits :)