Are you a creature of habit? Of course you are. We all are. It’s how we’re built. Habits allow us to act without attention. And I don’t know about you, but I can use all the spare attention I can get.

But are you aware of your habits? I am aware that I habitually check my pocket for the keys before shutting the car door, even though this doesn’t require my attention. However, I may not be aware that each time I do this I also clear my throat.

I see people every day who have no awareness of their movement habits. They know that their back hurts every time they bend their spine forward, but they have no idea that they bend their spine forward to some degree with almost every movement they attempt. If you become aware of your habits, you can purposefully introduce some novelty. This is the value of variation. It is a great way to introduce novelty.

Variation from habit introduces novelty.

Novelty creates a window of opportunity for change.