It was a cool, crisp fall day in New York. My classmates and I eagerly gathered around our kindergarten teacher, Miss Coleman, in the story corner of our classroom. It was clear she had something really exciting to tell us. With a twinkle in her eye, she held up a carefully crafted shoe picture made out of construction paper. “Does everyone know what this is?” “A shoe!” we cried. “Well, one of the big things we want you to learn in kindergarten is how to tie your shoes. So I’ve made a special shoe like this one for each of you, with your name on it. When you can show me you know how to tie your shoes, we’ll put your shoe picture up on the wall over the alphabet rail. Who already knows how to tie their shoes?” I looked around, embarrassed and crestfallen, as about a third of the class raised their hands proudly. This might be the first thing I’d fail at school. My mom had been trying to teach me, but I really had a hard time with that kind of motor coordination at 5 – I was just five right before school began, making me one of the youngest in the class. I couldn’t get that “cross, loop and under” thing into my fingers. But oh, I wanted that shoe with my name on it.
It took me until February to get it. It was such a big day when Miss Coleman put my shoe up there, near the end of the line of shoes marching around the classroom wall. I was so proud of myself for achieving that goal! I still remember this, more than 50 years later, like it was yesterday.
Flash forward to the end of that school year. We were going out for recess after nap time, and I realized that I had put my shoes on, tied them, and run outside without thinking about it. Wow! My first conscious encounter with habit. And what a good one. Thankfully, I can still habitually tie my shoes today and, I bet you can, too.
I bring this story up because as we launch into thinking about habits, it’s important to remember that not all habits are “bad.” In fact, if you had to remember all the parts of driving your car every day, like you did when you got your learner’s permit, you’d be unable to concentrate on that story on the radio, or make that hands-free phone call. Habituated behavior is how we get through life.
So today, take time to be aware of the habits that you need to get through your day smoothly, and thank those behaviors for showing up.
Can you find one habit (like tying your shoes) that you could focus in on, just for today? Can you take yourself consciously and with full presence and attention through that activity you don’t normally think about doing? What’s that like?
Shoot me a comment and let me know. And see if you can find me in my kindergarten photo!
It took me until February to get it. It was such a big day when Miss Coleman put my shoe up there, near the end of the line of shoes marching around the classroom wall. I was so proud of myself for achieving that goal! I still remember this, more than 50 years later, like it was yesterday.
Flash forward to the end of that school year. We were going out for recess after nap time, and I realized that I had put my shoes on, tied them, and run outside without thinking about it. Wow! My first conscious encounter with habit. And what a good one. Thankfully, I can still habitually tie my shoes today and, I bet you can, too.
I bring this story up because as we launch into thinking about habits, it’s important to remember that not all habits are “bad.” In fact, if you had to remember all the parts of driving your car every day, like you did when you got your learner’s permit, you’d be unable to concentrate on that story on the radio, or make that hands-free phone call. Habituated behavior is how we get through life.
So today, take time to be aware of the habits that you need to get through your day smoothly, and thank those behaviors for showing up.
Can you find one habit (like tying your shoes) that you could focus in on, just for today? Can you take yourself consciously and with full presence and attention through that activity you don’t normally think about doing? What’s that like?
Shoot me a comment and let me know. And see if you can find me in my kindergarten photo!
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