Why break the habit of a lifetime?

Why break the habit of a lifetime?  I picked up this definition of the idiom: "Something that you say which means that you do not believe that someone will stop doing something bad that they have done all their lives".  Interesting that this particular definition refers to "something bad".  So for example, "Uncle Tom always gets pissed out of his mind at Christmas, so he's unlikely to break the habit of a lifetime".  If the definition is valid, then the inference in this example is that Uncle Tom's behaviour at Christmas is viewed as a bad habit.  But is habitual drinking bad?  Well it's certainly not bad for the drinks industry that employs many workers.  Nor is it bad for the state coffers from the taxes that are collected.  So if Uncle Tom breaks his habit of a lifetime, it might be good for his health and he might not be a pain in the arse for those who have to tolerate his company, but breaking his habit could contribute to a negative impact on the economy.

Now here's a definition of 'habit': "A recurrent, often subconscious pattern of behaviour that is acquired through frequent repetition".  We all have those and they are not always bad.  For example, good driving habits should reduce accidents and good or bad driving becomes habitual.  Most of the time we don't have to think about how we drive, the subconscious will take over.  So when the traffic light is red, a good driver will automatically stop.  It's interesting to consider habits in the context of business organisations.  Why am I using the example of businesses?  Well, they've featured prominently throughout my life, so why break the habit of a lifetime?!  It doesn't matter whether you are one of six people working in an office or an employee of a corporation employing 60,000, you will have experienced organisational CULTURE - "that's not the way we do things around here".  Culture is the cultivation of individual habits and collective traditions to create a unique working environment.  A business leader who tries to change culture by producing vision statements, mission statements and business plans, no matter how well communicated, will fail.  How do I know?  Because I've been there, done that and got the tee shirt!  Where there is a match between the organisational culture and the individual's habits, the two will co-exist comfortably.  Where there is a mismatch, the individual will be the loser.  So a risk-taking entrepreneur will not survive in a risk-averse, conservative organisation.  But we are all creatures of habit.  Most of the time we do what we do most of the time!  So how do individuals and organisations, which are collections of individuals, set about changing direction?  That's a big question and I don't profess to know the answer.  But I do know what has worked for me when I have attempted to change my attitudes and behaviours.

I find it useful on occasions to assess my habits, of which I have plenty.  If I can spot a really bad habit, I like to analyse it and see if I can change it.  I've had some successes but many failures because "old habits die hard"!  But if it was easy to change individual behaviours, the world would probably not have all the problems we have today.  Returning to the title of this post, why break the habit of a lifetime?  Because if you wish to change the world, start with yourself.