Self-Reflection - Habits and Addictions
Related Chapters: Chapter 12 - Habits and Addictions • Chapter 61 - Mastering our Addictions
Purpose
Much of what we do each day is not the result of careful decision-making but of habits we have developed over months or years. Some habits quietly improve our health, relationships, and happiness. Others gradually move us in directions we never intended.
Most habits begin with a choice. Over time, repeated choices become routines, and routines become increasingly automatic. This reflection invites you to notice some of those patterns—not to judge yourself, but to better understand the habits that are helping or hindering the life you hope to live.
Reflection Statements
Scoring:
1 = Rarely 2 = Sometimes 3 = Often 4 = Almost Always
Write your score in the blank preceding each statement.
_______ 1. I regularly notice habits that are shaping my life.
_______ 2. I can usually identify what triggers one of my unwanted habits.
_______ 3. My daily habits generally reflect the values I want to live by.
_______ 4. I find it easier to establish healthy habits than to eliminate unhealthy ones.
_______ 5. Stress sometimes leads me toward behaviors I later regret.
_______ 6. I have successfully replaced at least one unhealthy habit with a healthier one.
_______ 7. I recognize when a pleasurable activity is beginning to control me rather than serve me.
_______ 8. I occasionally pause to ask, "Why am I doing this?"
_______ 9. I am patient with myself when trying to change long-standing habits.
_______ 10. I seek support from others when changing a difficult habit would benefit me.
_______ 11. I believe small improvements are more sustainable than dramatic resolutions.
_______ 12. I believe meaningful change remains possible at any stage of life.
Total Score: ________
Looking Beyond the Score
Before adding your responses, pause for a moment.
- Which habit has had the greatest positive influence on your life?
- Which habit quietly takes more from your life than it gives?
- Which statement was the hardest to answer honestly?
- If you could change just one habit during the next year, which would have the greatest positive effect on your life?
Sometimes one answer is more valuable than the total score.
If You Wish to Calculate a Total
Add your ratings.
Possible scores range from 12 to 48.
40–48
Your responses suggest that you are generally aware of your habits and are intentional about shaping them. While no one develops perfect habits, you appear willing to examine them honestly and make adjustments when needed.
30–39
Like most people, you seem to have a mixture of habits that serve you well and others that deserve attention. Simply becoming more aware of those patterns is often the first step toward meaningful change.
20–29
Your responses suggest there may be habits operating on "autopilot" that deserve closer examination. Rather than trying to change several at once, consider choosing one habit that matters most.
12–19
Many habits develop gradually and almost invisibly. Your responses may simply be inviting you to observe your daily routines with greater curiosity before deciding whether any changes are needed.
Questions for Further Reflection
- Which habit am I most grateful to have developed?
- Which habit has cost me the most over the years?
- What usually triggers my less helpful habits?
- What need am I trying to satisfy when I engage in them?
- What small change would make the desired habit easier and the unwanted habit more difficult?
- What important question do you wish had been included?
One Small Experiment
Choose one daily habit—not necessarily your most important one.
For the next week, don't try to change it.
Simply notice:
- What usually triggers it?
- How do you feel immediately before it?
- How do you feel immediately afterward?
Sometimes understanding a habit is the first step toward changing it.
Reflection Notes (Optional)
Use this space to capture any thoughts, insights, questions, surprises, or intentions that came to mind while completing this reflection.
Final Reflection
Habits are among the quiet architects of our lives. They rarely transform us overnight, yet over months and years they shape our character, health, relationships, and happiness. Fortunately, habits are learned—and many can be relearned. Lasting change seldom comes through willpower alone. More often, it grows from greater awareness, thoughtful choices, and the patient repetition of small actions that gradually become part of who we are.