500 - 0 BC / Confucius / Habits and Habit Tracker

Confucius Teachings on Habit Formation

By Effluo | Published December 1, 2021 | No Comments

When studying the teachings of Confucius it becomes evident that he placed great importance on the development of character. Confucius’s teachings emphasized ethics and morality. An important stepping stone in reaching high moral character is habit formation.

In the Analects, Confucius left words of guidance telling us why we need to develop specific habits. He also left good instructions on goal achievement steps, which we can apply to habit achievement.

Why Is Habit Formation Needed?

Men’s natures are alike; it is their habits that carry them far apart

Confucius

We are all born into this world with the same human nature. The shared needs for food, security, and social status. We want to achieve new heights and live a peaceful existence.

It is our habits that set us apart from each other. You are an accumulation of your habits. If habits make you who you are, then it seems to reason that if you want to grow and improve new habits need to be formed.

It is possible to become the person you want to be, and it begins with habit formation.

How To Pursue Habit Formation?

Though in making a mound I should stop when but one more basketful of earth would complete it, the fact remains that I have stopped. On the other hand, if in leveling it to the ground I advance my work by but one basketful at a time, the fact remains that I am advancing.

Confucius

There are two very important lessons in this quote.

The first is that you should persist until the very end in achieving your goals and habit formation. Even if you believe that things may not be progressing as fast as you’d like, the point is that you are progressing. Do not give up.

The second is that it is up to YOU and YOUR determination and persistence. Your success is based on your willingness to move ahead. It is not dependent on anyone or anything else. You determine your own fate.

Summary

These teachings are simple and may seem very common sense. However, there is beauty in this simplicity. The more you internalize these teachings the easier it will be to become the person you want to be.

• Understand why you want to form a specific habit.
  • Habits make us who we are.
  • A conscious decision on what habits you want to form, is the first step to becoming the person you want to be.
• Work on habit formation through obstacles and be persistent.
  • Obstacles will inevitably stand in a way of any habit formation or goal achievement.
  • The key is to continue working through the obstacles.
• Go slow if needed but do not stop.
  • The key point here is, do not give up if you believe you are not progressing fast enough.
  • Remember that you are progressing.

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