develop open-ended habits
overview
When an activity becomes a habit, it becomes a natural part of your life. Once a habit is rooted, it gains priority, sometimes to the point you cannot imagine skipping it. But the word Habit does not imply a repetitive, mindless activity. Some habits are gateways to endless Experiences.
Open-Ended Habits are recurrent activities for which each instance introduces an entirely different Experience. Some might appear to be passive, like reading books or engage in deep-listening to music, while others, like photographing, painting, or writing, are active. Both kinds of Open-Ended Habits leave a mark and create the setup for the other c.os functions to be utilized.
actionable steps
Engage in diverse and rich Open-Ended Habits. Plan them and make sure not to skip them. Apart from enriching your Experience, they will charge you with energy.
Use your Open-Ended Habits as an opportunity to Observe and Wonder. Capture insights while practicing them and use them also as a trigger for reflection.
examples
Example 1
Watch movies. To become an Open-Ended Habit, be mindful of the diversity of films you choose. The more genres you will be exposed to, even if you are not naturally inclined towards some, the greater the sense of Experience is.
Example 2
Drawing or Writing. Even if you believe you are not good at drawing or writing, closing some time to practice such activities will result in numerous Experiences. The quality of the result is not essential in this context. Challenging yourself with different creative or technical assignments will open a universe of insights and inspiration, and that is the essence of Experience.
related practices
further exploration
- The Accidental Creative, by Todd Henry
The concept of Unnecessary Creating