What happens when you think about how to walk down stairs while walking down stairs?
What about when you have re-type an online password while thinking about getting it correct?
The man before his time, Yogi Berra, said that “you can’t hit and think at the same time.”
Habits become instinctual – literally. As a habit is formed, the associated brain activity migrates from your “thinking” brain to your “reptilian” brain.
Proof? Brush your teeth with your left-hand.
Well developed habits become neighbors with your instincts – like flinching when startled.
The bright side – you often perform your best when you stop thinking. Your specialized skills become instinctual – developed and reliable. If you choose to “think” instead of “doing,” you engage a portion of your brain that is your B-team.
The down side – the amount of your “living” that occurs absent of thought increases with time. How much of what you do could be replicated by a robot? Is this conducive to your personal, professional, and spiritual growth?
Some dude named Socrates speculated that
“the unexamined life is not worth living.”
