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Habits vs. Routines Differences

Tanya Gordon

Many of us have a tendency to muddle our definitions of habit and routine in our daily attempts (and, in many cases, struggles!) to attain our goals. We often turn down the wrong path because we are unable to distinguish between the two.



We all have cerain daily obligations that we must fulfil without fail. Getting out of bed is the absolute minimum. The daily cycle of eating, cleaning and caring for our children is important to keep our lives moving.


While routines and habits are both terms used to describe the daiy activites we perform, it is crucial to recognize the differences between the two. And yet, we frequently use them interchangaly. Knowing the difference can go a long way to establishing healthy routines and good habits.


Habit and Routine

The basal ganglia is a structure in your brain. It also goes by the name "habit centre," because it permits things to happen automatically when an urge or cue is present. These develop into habits as a result of repeated decisions and actions.


Habits can include routines like always brushing your teeth after eating, smoking during your break, or driving past the same coffee shop every day on the way to work and getting the same mocha and croissant. Whether we need to or not, we are motivated to repeat the same actions daily by the strength of our habit centres


A routine, on the other hand, requires conscious effort. If you don't make a point of using it daily, it eventually fizzles out and stops altogether. Activities such as exercising, dusting your house, making your bed – these are all things that we do to better our lives in some way.


Routines should become habits.


Routines are intentional actions that aren't always automatic but that we must continuously carry out if we want to live a happy, productive life. It is true that routines can turn into habits if they are practiced with intention over a period od time.



The bottom line is that habits are performed with little to no conscious thought. Routines require some level of discipline and intention to complete.


You must therefore have a strong intention and desire to do so in order to transform a routine into a habit. It's known as habit formation. There are various approaches, but the Habit Loop, a three-part strategy, is the most successful one: Develop a cue to trigger the routine (that you want to turn into a habit), then give yourself some kind of reward after.


Executing the routine after the cue is the most challenging step in this process. It takes time and work to create, but habit stacking, which involves starting small and adding to it over time, is an excellent strategy. such as working out immediately following your morning coffee or brushing your teeth before getting in the shower. Exercise for no more than 10 minutes at first, then increase it to 30 or more. Exercising quickly becomes second nature. a real habit that's challenging to quit.


It all comes down to being conscious of your goals and transforming bad habits into useful routines.




The Real eState™ Playground is sales and mindset coaching female real estate agents

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