Part 1/5: The Easiest Way to Disrupt Your Habit Patterns

Did you know that Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony…that famous one that starts with…

“Da-Da-Da-DUM !”

… has five beats… not four?

That’s because the first ‘note’ is silent. It’s actually….

“*Pause*-Da-Da-Da-DUM!”

What has this to do with disrupting your habit patterns? Perhaps everything… (well, not everything but more on that later…).

It’s only when you pause…that you stand a chance… there’s a slim possibility… of making different choices.

Instead of taking the automatic pilot super-highway… pausing… can change the dynamics in a blink of an eye. Switching from ‘A’ to where you want to ‘B’, starts with this simple circuit breaker. As Lori Deschene writes,

“Practice the Pause. Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause before you’re about to react harshly and you’ll avoid saying and doing things you’ll later regret.”

Suffering in silence, wallowing in guilt or shame, playing the blame game isn’t only time wasting and toxic – it’s contagious. It’s the vibe and energy we transmit – at work, at home and especially to our nearest and dearest relationships. It’s not only frustrating, exhausting… it’s surprisingly totally unnecessary.

Instead of getting stuck in a vicious circle of replaying the same old habit patterns… imagine what life will be like when you’re able to hit PAUSE in time…where in that split second you’re able to switch and you manage to ….

… catch yourself from blurting something out you didn’t mean to

… speak the words you’ve been long holding back with calmness and integrity

… create better alternatives and make wiser decisions.

Imagine what the end of your day… week… month… your life could be like when you do.

That’s why the 5 Micro Habits for Ease starts with practicing the Pause: how to pause… how to expand your options when you pause… how to navigate the pause, because as the composer Truman Fisher once said,

“the Pause is as important as the Note.”

Life is precious. Life is short.

Isn’t it time to play the notes for all it is worth? Imagine the possibilities it can create?

In the meantime, I hope the next time you hear this familiar refrain… “Da-Da-Da-DUM”… you will remember that this mesmerising melody… starts with a Pause.

p.s.: If you haven’t had a chance to PAUSE yet today, perhaps now is a good time. If so, how will you experience this important note?