I developed this funny habit when I was around 17. Whenever I am going out or trying to do something and want to avoid mistakes, I will do it and call it out. For instance, whenever I am going out. I will check my body and say — I have my wallet here, my phone, my bag, and I locked the door. This way I won’t forget anything or make silly mistakes.
I thought it was a stupid habit because I don’t let people see me whenever I am doing it. Well, I keep on doing it till this time because I later read a system that is using it for safety. People in Asia would have experience of this, but I got it here. There is a pointing and calling method common in Japan and China. It was originated in 1900 with train staffs calling out the status of the signals. This is to keep them in focus and it has saved them from common mistakes and reduce many dangers.
Habit
The practice of pointing and calling is so much effective that it raises your level of awareness. Because you have to use almost all your sense organs to ensure you are doing the right thing. I have been with my family since the outbreak of the covid19 and I do send my Lil sister to do some things for me. Sometimes she will and other times, she will do something different. And when I ask her, what happened? Her response has always been, “I forgot”. Now, I told her this — You are 15 and you forget things like this; you need to say them out. It sounds silly to her, but it has been helping her.
If a company uses the system to reduce risks and mistakes, then it would be useful for everyone. But I think it is more for checking and changing our habits, especially to be more aware of the things we do.
Using Pointing and calling to change habits
Everyone has a good and bad habit. There is no perfect person, but we are more conscious than each other. However, every habit serves us, either bad or good. If you consider why you know something has terrible effects but you continue to do them, this may be because the habit serves a part of you. Smoking serves the purpose of relieving stress and keeps you warm but bad on your health. However, there is a simple way to know bad and good habit. Ask yourself this question — is this habit-building me to be a kind of person I wish to be? If the answer is yes, then you have a good habit, otherwise, you need a change of habit.
You need to be more aware of your habit before you can do anything to it. The solution is to call your habit a name and talk to them. It is another silly thing to do, but this might have more effective than just thinking about it.
Pick a pen, list out your habits and check their short and long-time effects on your productivity, health and life. Then mark them. Tick the good ones, “X” the bad ones and “—” the basic one. Then try to improve with this. Here is the thing — no one can help you improve yourself if you are not willing to. Your sense for awareness does a lot in becoming what you really what to become, and it is important to make a change.
Start your week well and improve your life.
Thank you!
