Introduction: The importance of good habits lies in the fact that if you if you practice good habits, it will take form of your character and vice versa.
Habits becomes part of our nature. We should inculcate good habits in our life. The great philosopher Plato scold a lad for gambling with nuts, and the boy replied, “You are scolding me for a very small matter“. The great philosopher gravely said, my boy, habit is not concerned small matter. Plato was here speaking out of the very depth of his great experience of human nature.
A man with good habits plays an important role in the development of the society. He is an asset to the society at large.
It is important to understand that if you once allow a bad habit to grow, it becomes a part of our nature. A particular habit is, and can be, acquired acting always in a particular way. Therefore, we should form good habits such as reading, studying, morning walking, early rising, eating healthy foods, etc. We should stay away from bad habits such as smoking, procrastination, etc.
Right conduct will become a habit, if a person spends his life in the practice of virtue. Habits changes into character.
It is much more difficult to get rid of a bad habit than to acquire a good habit. Hence, if, therefore, we develop a bad habit it will become impossible to get rid of that habit, for that will need a much greater sacrifice. When anybody takes us to task for a bad habit, we often say that we will not do again; and we will bring in a new chapter on the tomorrow. But that to-morrow never comes. For on the tomorrow we again put off correction, and thus, in the words of the poet, we become “dupes of to-morrow”. That means that the bad habit is permanently ingrained in our nature and correction becomes almost impossible.
For example, once a person developed the habit of smoking, then it is extremely difficult to get rid of the habit of smoking. Thus, we should keep away from bad habits in the first place. Hence, lies the importance of good habits in our life.
Good habits leads to successful character. Bad habits not only prevent success in life, but also it leads to the degeneration of character. It is attended with other vices which undermine the foundations of our character.
Good habits create virtues. On the other hand, with bad habits comes idleness, undutifulness, loss of capacity to work hard. A person, whose habits are good, will generally be found to be methodical, preserving and dutiful. He regards life from a more serious standpoint. He builds his life on the strongest foundation. Therefore, good habits should be inculcated early during child life.
List of Good Habit: Here is a quick list of good habits that we can practice in our life.
- Wake up early in the morning. It is said that “Early to bed early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”
- We should go for morning walk each morning. It helps us to remain fit and healthy.
- Brush your teeth regularly.
- Take bath everyday.
- Read good books that inspires us in a positive manner.
- Offer prayer to God in the morning.
- Eat healthy food that nourishes our body and mind.
- Engage in physical exercise, aerobics, yoga, etc.
- Do meditation for some time.
- Time is money. We should be punctual in our duties.
- We should maintain time while going to school, office, and for scheduled appointments.
- We should be obedient to our teachers, seniors, and elders.
- Keep our clothes clean and tidy.
- We should throw wastes in dustbin only.
- We should try to develop of the habit of thinking positive.
Conclusion: In the ordinary business life, it is said that an ounce of habit is worth a pound of intellect. Most of our activities follow a set pattern, a well marked groove. Habits set this pattern from this groove. Hence, if we have acquired useful habits, it means a great economy of energy. We are spared the trouble of thinking out every step that we take, we act mechanically, and the energy saved is better employed in dealing with more important affairs of life in which an active intellect is an asset.