Daily exercise, reading to learn every day, making happy birthday calls – these are all good addictions. Drugs, gambling, spending more than you earn – these are all bad addictions.
Addictions go by another name – habits.
The brain likes addictions/habits because addictions/habits save the brain from work and help to conserve brain fuel (glucose and keytones). So, naturally, the brain seeks to create addictions/habits. It does this by rewarding your with certain feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and endorphins.
So, through the release of these feel-good neurotransmitters, the brain entices you to become addicted or forge habits.
In my book Change Your Habits Change Your Life I highlight some of the over 300 habits from my Rich Habits Study that separate the rich and the poor. I also explain, in great detail, how the brain creates addictions/habits.
In my study, I found that rich people forge good addictions/habits and poor people forge bad addictions/habits. In most cases, these addictions/habits are home-based, meaning they are picked up by children mimicking their parents behaviors.
The best good addictions/habits are those forged to help you achieve your goals. Good daily goal habits enable you to pursue your goals without conscious effort. In a sense, with good daily success habits, you become a Success Zombie, unconsciously behaving and thinking in a way that seamlessly puts you on the path towards success.
But society likes to throw wrenches onto your automated path towards success. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, online gambling, Pickleball, Game of Thrones, the Kardashians, etc. are all distractions that can lead to future addictions, if you are not vigilant in controlling your habits.
New addictions can make productive use of your time. They can improve your health, increase your IQ or add another new skill to your tool belt.
New addictions can also be time wasters and can drag you down in life.
Be aware of your behavior. Know your habits and addictions. Some can creep up on you if you are not paying attention. Awareness is the key to controlling your addictions/habits.
About Thomas C. Corley
That means addiction will probably never be a good thing. This is because a true addiction will almost certainly have negative consequences.Good post. I learn something new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon on a daily basis.It’s always helpful to read content from other authors and practice a little
something from their sites.