If you are like most people, when you buy a car you buy floor mats. The floor mats protect your floor from you-don’t-know-what strangeness might accumulate - just like habits help protect you from having to re-think every situation.

But now let’s jump forward a couple of years and look at those floor mats. They are covered with the history of the car, including grime, coffee, gravel, donuts, french fries, Cheerios, and other things too embarrassing to mention.

In like ways, bad habits can hide weakness in how you work. They limit your success, distract you with low-value work, and take away parts of your week in ways you never imagined.

When I’m in someone’s middle-aged car I look at the floor mats. They are often stained, rubbed, ragged, and sometimes worn through. I ask them, “Since your car is more than halfway through its life, why not throw out the floor mats and enjoy the clean, unworn carpet underneath?” 

While answers vary, the fact is most won’t throw them out. They are stuck on the floor mats protecting the good carpeting even though the car is rusting, the transmission slipping, and the engine rough. They seem to have an illogical affinity for old floor mats long after they have lost purpose.

Likewise, we have an affinity for old habits. They are familiar, and we often keep them no matter how ragged and worn. Look objectively at how your habits serve you - well or poorly - look at the great service your floor mats have provided. Both their flaws cover up better things. Do what needs to be done and ditch them both - worn floor mats and bad habits.

And take a look at your floor mats the next time you are in your car. If you throw out the floor mats or dump an old habit, let me know... I’ll honor your courage.