Rivers Carve Canyons, and Your Habits Shape You

Why it’s extremely difficult to shift routines or change habits

Good morning!

Have you ever tried to shift your routine or introduce new changes?

I don’t know if you necessarily feel the same way, but when it comes to me and my morning routine—the list of tasks I do in the 45–50 minutes before work—I’ve noticed that it’s very difficult to make even slight changes to it.

You’ve probably heard the Winston Churchill quote that “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” This reminds me of the mental image of a stream of water carving its path through the landscape.

First, the stream of water finds the path of lowest resistance to travel the farthest distance from highest to lowest elevation, but as it continues to wear away at the soil beneath it, it carves itself a groove. Once it cuts its own groove, it continues to expand it deeper and wider, trapping itself in its own shape, and it can no longer deviate from it.

I mean, if you looked at the Grand Canyon, you wouldn’t question whether or not it’s true that the river inside it doesn’t really have the option to take any other route than the one it’s already carved for itself over such a long time.

Routines and habits are insanely difficult to break or alter. It’s almost as if—sticking with the river example—you had to re-fill the ditch you made and then, once you’re level with the soil, carve a new path. That takes a lot of effort.

A couple of words of advice on this topic, if I may. First, be extremely careful with the habits and routines that you form; once you stick with something for several years—whether it’s cycling 5 miles every day or smoking a pack of cigarettes a day—it will be very difficult to shift what you are doing, so please choose your habits carefully. Second, when you see people struggling to change, please recognize that it isn’t as simple as no longer doing ______, as there’s a lot more work involved in the process; be patient with people (and yourself) as they try to change, and encourage them in the process.

Change is possible, it just isn’t easy.

God bless you, have a great day!