
[Charles Duhigg](https://twitter.com/cduhigg)'s [_The Power of Habit_](https://www.amazon.com/Power-Habit-What-Life-Business/dp/B007EJSMC8/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=) is an awesome book that gets into the science of decision-making and forming habits. My favorite takeaway from the book is that habits are things we end up doing automatically, meaning we don't even have to use as much energy to think about doing them.

If you're like me, you think waaay too much.

![A little kid leaning on a table and thinking](https://media.giphy.com/media/JSgDJLtBZnx9m/giphy.gif)

Thinking isn't inherently a bad thing. People tend to associate overthinking with being emotional, and that's fine. There's nothing wrong with being an emotional person. Accept it; run with it. :)

But there a lot of things we tend to overthink that can be easily simplified. For example, some people wear the same jeans and shirts every day so they don't have to think about what to wear. Some eat the same breakfast, drive the same commute, or walk their dogs on the same path. I get bored with super rigid routines, so it takes practice finding what works.

Where does minimalism come into creating habits? Well, think of the first example: wearing the same outfit every day. That requires minimizing your closet and getting rid of all your clothing that doesn't align with that outfit. I like to see minimalism as a tool in addition to a lifestyle. Usually, it helps me set myself up for even bigger forward steps.

Think of it as clearing mental space for doing what's most important. If you need some help getting started, I recommend cleaning out your email subscriptions. I've been needing to do this for weeks and I'll probably avoid checking my inbox as often as I should until it's done. 🙈

{% link https://dev.to/ashleemboyer/throw-all-of-your-email-subscriptions-in-the-garbage-25ah %}

What habits are you working on or wanting to get started? Where could spend time minimizing things to make room for the habits you want to create?


Good habits not only keep us on track, but they save us time and energy.

Minimalism and Habits


I came across an excellent tweet last night by Twitter user [Amycruz](https://twitter.com/AmarachiAmaechi):

> To be a good developer you don’t have to spend 99% of your time writing, reading about coding. Do other activities. it helps to be more creative and to enrich your knowledge.
>
> What other activities do you engage in aside coding 🤔🤔
>
> _[link to tweet](https://twitter.com/AmarachiAmaechi/status/1132018328988454912)_

This is such a great point. I see many devs talking about how hard it is to cope with the insane amount of information online. On the one hand: _it feels a little bit competitive_. Who can learn the newest framework the fastest and build a super cool app and start making money? On the other hand: it's hard to choose which things to learn in what order because you're scared of falling behind.

Let's start by acknowledging we'll never learn everything. First of all, it's impossible. Second of all, it's not necessary. Learn the skills you need for the job you want. Then, you can fill in the gaps as needed. However, all of you learnaholics like myself might be wondering how to fit your extra learning into that mindset. The answer is balance.

You _must_ balance learning with other activities. Without balance, you risk burnout, as is the case with most things. So, find some hobbies! I personally enjoy knitting, crocheting, cross-stitching, and reading memoirs. Creative hobbies are very beneficial. You can meet new people who share the same hobby, have interesting things to talk about yourself in job interviews, and clear your mind for a while from stressful things.

Have any non-code hobbies you'd like to share? Drop a comment! :)


Hobbies give us a break from the real world. Take all you can get.

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