Habits – Stop Falling Back on Them… please
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Last night I was talking with a dear friend and amazing dancer, Christina. She had recently come off an international tour of DV8’s stunning dance theatre piece, “Can We Talk About This?”
Photo courtesy of London Evening Standard
It was an intense rehearsal and performance regimen for a solid year. It challenged her habits, the safety nets she had created (intentionally and unintentionally) over the years. To create a new, to create fresh and vibrant work that speaks to a current truth, a driving honesty is needed. Honesty does not reside in habits.
Habits are comfortable. Habits are regular like clockwork. Habits occur whether you think about them or not.
Honesty is uncomfortable. Creativity can be erratic. Honesty occurs when you are intentional.
Christina, remarked that DV8’s Artistic Director, Lloyd Newson, would constantly call on his performers to let got of their habits. It was imperative.
What are some of your habits? How might they be holding you back?
Once you’ve pinpointed them… then what? How do you rewire that habit?
Christina and I were talking about the power of immersion. The need to get off of your ‘normal’ routine and original habit motivators in order to fully stripped down those habits – revealing the unique you, the honesty, eclipsed by it. She got that chance with DV8 – 6 days a week, 8+ hours a day, on the road away from everything she knew.
That’s why Chris Beaulieu and I bought the VA retreat for those seeking Creative Independence. We understand the power of seclusion, immersion and removing yourself from all you rely on and are subject to (a.k.a. what you’re dependent on).
But what if you don’t have the week or two (or year, like Christina) to get the heck out of dodge and reprogram your habits?
New York Times writer, Charles Duhigg tackles this next step in The Power of Habit. Here’s a great animated clip explaining the ‘habit loop’.
[youtube width=”600″ height=”365″ video_id=”4H0fTwtPLfo”]
SELF OBSERVATIONS:
1. What are a few habits (either in your daily routine, or how you work) that could be holding you back?
2. Have you ever tried to alter a habit? Why? What was the outcome?