Section 1.1: What Makes a Person Attractive?

A thought-provoking question posed on Twitter asked what qualities make someone desirable beyond physical attributes. Interestingly, none of the responses highlighted habits or self-discipline as crucial traits.

Commonly mentioned qualities included intelligence, kindness, humility, creativity, confidence, honesty, authenticity, humor, curiosity, motivation, selflessness, and loyalty. These attributes are indeed compelling and hard to dispute.

No one mentioned, “I find it irresistible when someone wakes up before dawn, reads for half an hour, does extensive exercise, and sticks to the same running route daily.” The allure of unwavering consistency is hardly alluring to most.

My morning routine is so ingrained that I often find myself midway through my run before it even crosses my mind that I might not want to continue. At that point, it feels too late to back out.

Section 1.2: The Downsides of Rigidity

Although my structured habits have their benefits, they also come with notable drawbacks:

• Lack of Spontaneity: My tightly regimented lifestyle leaves little room for surprises. My wife can easily predict my actions based on our schedule. Occasionally, when I switch things up—like changing my breakfast fruit—her shock at my deviation is amusing, as I’m merely trying to add some unpredictability.
• Inflexibility: The fear of straying from my established habits creates a sense of sameness in my daily life.
• Irritability: Unexpected events can throw me off balance. While I do participate in spontaneous activities, my initial reaction is often irritation. Fortunately, I usually adapt and enjoy the change.
• Anxiety: Many see my adherence to routine as discipline, but I view it as a mask for my deeper lack of self-control.

Despite my best efforts, I sometimes find myself losing track of time, especially when engaged in activities like binge-watching shows. To combat this, I restrict myself to a single episode or film.

Section 2.1: A Midlife Crisis of Habits

Recently, I spontaneously began working on a jigsaw puzzle. For me, this was a thrilling act of rebellion against my usual structure. I found myself engrossed, losing track of hours. While the experience was enjoyable, it also led to a sense of wasted time.

Are Habits for the Elderly?

Though I’ve never been particularly carefree, I’ve noticed that habits tend to become more pronounced with age. This might explain why older marathon runners often outperform younger counterparts.

Perhaps it’s a natural progression. If young individuals become too entrenched in rigid routines, they may struggle to adapt to relationships, ultimately hindering their social appeal.

Do Habit-Forming Books Truly Help?

The modern obsession with habit formation can often induce guilt in those who feel they’re not living up to their potential. Authors of self-help books capitalize on this desire for improvement.

While some may find success through these methods, I can’t help but feel pity for those who, like myself, become overly successful in their attempts to impose habits on their lives.