Habits...

[Jeff Gonzales]

I wanted to explore some ideas on habits. One of my greatest challenges as instructor is to replace a current loaded program with a new program. Before we start we need to understand that there are good programs and bad programs. Obviously, we want to replace the bad program with a good one. So, the first thing we need to do is recognize the bad program or bad habit. A lot of times folks don't know they have a bad habit, which is why they obtain professional training to identify those bad habits and other times we know full well what the bad habit is without outside intervention.

Ultimately, we have to CHANGE our behavior to reflect the new habit and change requires discipline and hard work. Most habits are nothing more than an action or behavior that has been repeated so often that it has almost become an involuntary action. To affect the change one needs to bring the habit back into the conscious realm in order to make the choice between good and bad program. Which means you will have to actually engage the brain to make the desired change.

The first thing we will need to do is identify why the action is BAD. What makes you want to change it? Once you can identify why it is bad, next you want to identify why changing would be good. In other words, cause and effect. The real crux will be making the choice, you have now moved the action into the conscious realm and need to make the choice based off what percieved value you gain by making the change. The next big obstacle will be repetition. Repeatedly making the choice of the good habit over the bad habit based off what you recieve in return. Once you can consciously choose the good habit and enough times to make it the new PROGRAM then you have successfully changed.

It is not over then because of the ease of falling back into old habits. There will be a period where you are in the gray area (no pun intended) between the conscsious and subconscious mind.

By no means is this the only answer, just my observations and I would be curious to see what other have found successful in changing.

Later,

[Denny Hansen]

Good post, Jeff!

Speaking for myself, the hardest habit to break was rehostering immediately after firing two rounds. Too many times on a square range we would draw, fire two rounds, come down to ready and reholster. For myself (and I'm sure others) this became a reflexive action.

Now, I’ll draw to guard or present directly to the threat, fire as many as I need to, stay on target for a few seconds, scan for additional threats and only then reholster. A large benefit from this is that I don’t lose as many shots from not following through. IMO, when one knows they are only going to fire one or two shots they often have the tendency of not resetting the trigger and getting back on the sights.

Denny

[Quartus]

I have a saying that I often repeat to myself - "Be a slave to good habits."


The first step is identifying the problem - that's true in EVERY area of life. Interpersonal relationships, health, driving, shooting, you name it. I try to DRILL that into young engineers. Too many people are content with identifying that a problem exists, and then want to start throwing 'solutions' at it. (Politicians come to mind, for some reason. )

We need to identify WHAT the problem is, WHY it's a problem, and HOW it got that way.

Then we can properly identify the solution. When it comes to bad habits, once we've answered those questions we can come up with a GOOD habit to REPLACE it. It's very difficult to simply eliminate a habit. MUCH easier to replace it with a good one. That's what Denny described - he replaced a bad habit with a good one.

How to make that NEW good behaviour into a HABIT is what my little saying is about. It takes discipline, and hammering myself with that saying is my way of making myself do the right thing when I'm tempted to take a shortcut. For example, I won't let myself lock the car door with the inside button. I use the key. Can't lock myself out that way. On the rare occasion when I'm tempted to take the shortcut, I beat myself over the head with my mantra.

The other part of forging good habits is REPETITION. Repetition is the Mother of Skill. We have to DO IT and DO IT and DO IT until we do it without thinking.


Funny thing is, bad habits can be maintained with zero effort.

Good habits require constant re-inforcement. Like a leaky bucket, we have to keep putting more in.

[Jeff Gonzales]

Speaking for myself, the hardest habit to break was rehostering immediately after firing two rounds. Too many times on a square range we would draw, fire two rounds, come down to ready and reholster. For myself (and I'm sure others) this became a reflexive action.

So how did you get yourself to change the behavior? That is what I am curious about. I am interested in how folks go about changing their own habits in daily lives.

What I find helps in working with folks who want to correct behaviors is what I call Front Loading. I have them identify one simple skill they want to change, whatever it is and then focus on when it starts to go south on them. When is it that they revert back to their old habits. That is the key, that is the stimulus to engage the brain.

I have a saying that I often repeat to myself - "Be a slave to good habits."

My question is when do you start reciting your mantra? Do you do it all the time or just when you think you might let a bad habit get the best of you. This is what I am looking for, the deeper understanding of how we learn and in this case how we unlearn.

Keep them coming.

Later,

[OBIWAN]

I don't want to sound like an AA meeting, but the hardest step is often getting someone to recognize/admit that they have a "bad habit"

Some people are so invested in their technique(s) that they are VERY resistant to new ideas/techniques.

Some of those people still take classes....I have seen them

" But Rob Leatham does that and he is faster than you"

They start talking percentages, etc. to the point where you wonder why they came???

Once the acceptance is there , then the real work begins...

[Jeff Gonzales]

Yeah, but the problem is they have to take the first step. I can point out areas of improvement, but if they are not interested in improving it goes in one ear and out the other. So, without a doubt the first step starts with the individual and consists of knowing.

Later,

[tackdrivr]

Hi Jeff,

IMHO, the individual has to realize a need. Without that there's no reason to modify one's behavior/technique/skill. Once one's need has been established, one becomes motivated to implement change.

I would also submit that a change in technique should yield a short term improvement. Most folks won't submit to change unless the results can be realized after a few repetitions. Herein lies the problem. It may take an untold amount of repetitions to undo a technique before a new technique can be ingrained.

Is the end result worth the effort in the mind of the student?

If the answer is yes, then continuous slow motion dry practice may be needed to reprogram the skill. I would think that the skill building process would be best accomplished one skill element at a time.

I think that for some there is some degree of competitiveness in training. It's only human to want to pass a qualification course or make the par time on a drill. If one feels awkward with a new skill then they will probably revert back to what is most comfortable when placed under stress.

We can only hope that the students works on the skill upon conclusion of the class, but then we're back to need.

HTH

Fred Darling www.wct.4t.com

[Quartus]

My question is when do you start reciting your mantra? Do you do it all the time or just when you think you might let a bad habit get the best of you. This is what I am looking for, the deeper understanding of how we learn and in this case how we unlearn.

Ah, gotcha. "Eternal vigilance is the price of good habits." I use it as a rebuke to myself when I catch me trying to take the shortcut. How do I catch me? Same skills as we use for situational awareness. I try to be aware of what I am doing. Sometimes I slip and start to do the wrong thing. That's where self-discipline and that mantra come in. I STOP. I don't allow myself that tired old, "It's only this once." line. I beat myself with my reminder. And I make myself do it right.

There's no shortcut to this.

[David Blinder]

Jeff,

How about the habit of Misplacing your wallet on a regular basis?

Seriously, one of the few things one can do is to create an emotionally significant event to force someone to come to terms with why an action has to change. We all have bad habits but as you say, identifying them is the 1st step. Few of us are honest or capable of critically evaluating ourselves so it generally requires someone else to nudge the process along. If someone is open to constructive criticism and wants to change, hard work and dedication can effect the desired change. Absent that, most people will have to be "shown the light." For that, force-on-force is probably the best way. You and I have both seen countless shooters who thought they were good to go but had material problems applying basic tactics outside of a sterile range environment. Summing up, I think you have to create a situation that will provoke an emotional response so that a person feels a genuine need to change.

David Blinder

ps. Give me a call when you get around to it.

[Sweatnbullets]

There are a number of good ideas here and many that I have used. The second step after you realize that you should change and *are* going to change, is to slow down and focus on the one thing that needs to be changed.

I had a shotgun instructor that would talk about being "task oriented." That means when you are doing a technique like Denny mentioned (just as an example) and you want to draw, shoot a controlled pair and reholster correctly. That the best way to do this is to break up the procedures into tasks and to perform them one at a time. So, it would be more like this. Count one, two ,three, four, sight picture, press, reset, press, reset, follow through, asses, afteraction, close contact, then reholster.

If you break it up and remain task oriented, you can slow down at the one point that you want to change and concentrate on ingraining the change.

[Denny Hansen]

"So how did you get yourself to change the behavior? That is what I am curious about. I am interested in how folks go about changing their own habits in daily lives."

Five years or six ago I was sent a news clipping from a friend. A LEO, IIRC in South Carolina, was confronted by a perp who pulled and aimed a revolver at him. Action vs. reaction puts our hero behind the power curve. LEO draws, fires two shots (both misses), and reholsters the way he had done for years during his dept's qual courses. Perp fires one round and misses. LEO redraws (now WAY behind the power curve) and wounds the BG with a burnishing hit, causing him to drop his weapon and surrender.

That incident really drove home the fact how unrealistic much of the training out there is--"training" that was similar to what I had taken part in myself. To make a long story short, I changed my behavior over many months (probably years) of making a conscious effort not to win the class speed reholstering award by making a point of staying on target, and scanning the area. As you are fond of saying in your classes, "Think threat, think threats friends."

Denny.

[LAK]

Denny Hansen,

That one reminds me of one posted in another forum where an officer emptied a revolver during a shootout, dumped the empties into his hand, and was apparently then seen looking for "the can". I think it was recorded on film.

[sm]

The first thing we will need to do is identify why the action is BAD. What makes you want to change it? Once you can identify why it is bad, next you want to identify why changing would be good.

-Jeff Gonzales

It is said one cannot change people places and things - a person can only change themselves. Sadly this change is a often result of something that causes pain to them or someone close to them.

From my personal experiences, that re-enforced some ideas , or caused me to change.

In a former life with access to business/ valuables, I was always aware of my surroundings - I thought. I was more concerned about entering and leaving my home / business. I carried concealed always , at home, even going to mailbox, mowing yard...

1) I came home once, unlocked my front door and was met by a perp, actually 2 , they had broken into through the back and were waiting for me to come home.

2) I answered the phone at home "that the business alarm was tripped". I left home and when I arrived to the business the alarm was not tripped and no LEO - I kept driving to the Police Station. New MO for perps, get the business card of someone like me, find them in phone book, report alarm and wait to nab person like me and then waltz right into business turn off alarm and rob the place.

From then on I always called the alarm company back to verify with a code that alarm had been tripped and LEO had been dispatched.

3) I had a customer robbed, no sign of "physical break in'. Working with LEO and backwards...Attractive lady at the car wash,key ring in vehicle with Insurance and registration. Employee of car wash , made copies of her key ring and made note of home address.

This could have been worse, like assault or rape.

My mom and many others -ladies especially - now keep insurance papers and registration in trunk ,( not in visor or glove compartment as normally thought). I would hope a LEO would be understanding why the papers are not in glove box if my mom is pulled over.

If vehicle is at a car wash, in for service,etc... only the keys to operate the vehicle - never a complete set of keys.

Nice luxury car, Attractive younger woman, business suit, nice watch and jewelry is what attracted the perps attn working at car wash.

[Damon]

I first learned shooting pistols using the Weaver stance. Even though I shoot Isoceles a lot now, I find my self at times under stress reverting to the Weaver.

So how do I get out of that habit?

[Quartus]

Don't, unless you only intend to shoot at targets on a course.



http://www.defense-training.com/quips/2002/9June02.html

http://www.defense-training.com/quip.../13June01.html

[Jeff Gonzales]

D...

If you are interested in changing your technique it will require you to re-engage the brain, to avoid slipping into the conscious realm. The best way to do this is through controlled repetitions. In other words, prior to presenting the weapon you will upload into your brain exactly what you want. The specific break down of the task. In this case, the Iso has simple steps to be completed, those steps happen in a prescribed sequence. When you execute them correctly, you will help to reinforce them at the subconscious level.

Q...

The shooter must be able to adapt what works for them, and not somebody else's technique regardless of their stature. It is like trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. It doesn't matter how well somebody shoots a particular technique, it only matters how well you shoot it.

Some people will naturally shoot the Weaver better and some people will naturally shoot the Isoceles better. Without every meeting the individual; passing blank advise is counter productive. Each technique is flawed...period. The real crux is how well each individual deals with the flaws.

The bottom line, is the situation will dictate your actions. Don't turn this into a "A versus B" scenario.

Later,

[GregR]

I carried a Beretta 92 on a daily basis until I saw the light and switched to 1911s about 12 years ago. Since I am only 5'3" with hands in proportion to my diminutive stature, I got in the habit of hitting the safety as my hand went down to acquire a firing grip. When I switched to a 1911, it took me a long time and a lot of dry fire to break that habit. Of course, the first step was recognizing I had a problem. Fortunately this was readily apparent to me and it was not because of an ND or anything like that. Of course, many years and live and dry fire repetitions later, I don't think I could hit the safety like that if I tried. Jeff is absolutely right - a conscious mental decision and good practice are the keys to breaking bad habits and allowing the good ones to become second nature.

[Phil306]

Jeff and all:

As I am in just such a situation, in my personal life, I will comment on this.

Everyone is correct. Without admitting and/or realizing you need to change, no one will. You can talk to someone until your blue in the face, about changing a certain tactic, etc. However, until THEY make a conscience effort to change themselves, it is not going to happen.

Individual will power, an AA Meeting style group therapy, or whatever. Until they want change, they will not change.

[OBIWAN]

The scary part about Denny's example would be if said officer now assumes that reholstering is a "good idea" simply based on surviving the gunfight.

He may even start his own shooting school based on having "seen the elephant" and living

[Quartus]

Ah, one wonders how often that has happened. It's a good illustration of the folly of drawing large conclusions from small data, a practice that is almost universal in the human race.

[Arc Angel]

Perhaps we should distinguish among: mental habits, physical habits, preferences, and training. Of this mix, mental habits appear to be the most important. Mental habits tend to reinforce emotional preferences; and, together, the two guide physical behavior.

A large part of the problem with personal safety is that good, decent people don’t, always, make the right moves to protect themselves – especially in advance – and, consequently, tend to set themselves up and walk into truly dangerous situations that the brain’s elementary limbic system, otherwise, ‘screams’ to avoid! Frankly, in my old age, if there’s one lesson the years have taught me, it’s that YOUR PERSONAL HABITS ARE WHAT, REALLY, KEEP YOU SAFE.

I have a friend who has managed to survive with a longstanding mob contract on his life. (There have been several attempts; and, no, the contractors weren’t sissies. This ain’t TV; and, ‘Don Cojones’ doesn’t always win.) He’s a pretty smart guy; and I’ve learned a lot from hanging around with him. I’d have to say that he has taught me some of the best, ‘survival habits’ I have, ever, seen. He tends to avoid crowds. (Habit) You can’t get close to him; (Habit) inside 12’ he’ll start to, ‘gauge you’ with his eyes. (Habit) He usually doesn’t talk to people by facing them squarely; instead he often moves off, a little, to one side. (Habit) If someone walks up behind him, he’ll quickly step aside to glance over his shoulder and take a look. (Habit) Whenever he walks through a doorway, he’ll pause and immediately look both ways, then, he’ll take a few steps and stop to look, again. (Habit) I’ve never seen him get into a car without checking out the other vehicles, nearby. (Habit) Once in, he locks the doors and starts the engine immediately. (Habit) I kidded him, once, about locking the doors; (Like that’s going to do any good!) I’ll never forget his reply; ‘I want my wife to understand that it wasn’t a suicide.’ Wow!

He carries two guns and, sometimes, two knives. (Habit) His attitude amazes me; he has told me that he doesn’t really worry about dying. (Habitual Attitude) (We, all, do it anyway – right!) I think this guy would be more than happy to die: today, tonight, or tomorrow, as long as he gets to do it on his own terms. (Habitual Attitude) I, once, heard him joke; ‘If I’ve got to clear out of here suddenly, then, someone else is going to carry my bags to Hell for me!’ (Again, Habitual Attitude)

If I had to travel through a rough neighborhood, he is the person I’d want to go with me. I don’t think this guy is that much brighter than a lot of other people; he, simply, pays attention better. I know he’s not necessarily any tougher, too; but, he is a whole lot more experienced! The mistakes that many other people would fumble themselves into, or not even see coming don’t occur with him. The other thing I like about this guy is that he’s, almost instinctively, loyal to his friends; and this causes other people (like me) to want to associate with him. The last time we went out together he, rather wryly, remarked; ‘Most killers (attackers) are cowards; they need to feel, ‘an edge’; or they won’t make that final move!’ (By, ‘final move’ I believe he meant, ‘commence an attack’.)

In my own, ‘old age’ I have come to believe that many of us who carry guns around all day long aren’t, really, prepared to use them, ‘properly’. If you (or anyone else) are typical, then, I tend to believe that your carry piece is more of a, ‘security blanket’ than a deadly weapon. The next time you’re confronted, don’t divert your eyes! Why? Because; (at risk of waxing poetic) ‘The eyes are the mirror of the soul.’ The other guy’s eyes will, often, be your first indication of what is about to happen. The statement; ‘What time is it?’ is, to my mind, one of the most dangerous remarks in the world! (No, not in a conference room; but, certainly, from a stranger on the street.) Anytime a stranger tries to: get too close to you, divert your eyes, or occupy your hands, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM. It may be, either, minor or major; but it’s a problem – nonetheless.

For the record, here are some of the right answers to: (Q.) 'Hey, buddy, what time is it?' (ANS.) 'I don't know.' or (ANS.) 'About 'X' o'clock.' (Q) 'You're wearing a watch, aren't you?' (ANS.) 'It doesn’t work.' (Q.) 'Hey, pal, got a match?' (ANS.) 'Sorry, No!' If you feel the situation warrants it, never hesitate to use expressions like; 'Stop, right there!' or my own perennial favorites; 'That's it; I WILL shoot you!' or 'Run away, NOW!'

Please remember that your sidearm AND your training are NOT, ‘security blankets’. Your HABITS are your real guardian angel; and the next time your elemental limbic system kicks in, move like the aboriginal predator that all men, once, were. Remember; ‘If you aren’t looking for it, you won’t see it!’

[Quartus]

Excellent post!

Welcome aboard! Post often!