Habits are a funny thing. We reach for them mindlessly, setting our brains on auto-pilot and relaxing into the unconscious comfort of familiar routine. “Not choice, but habit rules the unreflecting creatures,” William Wordsworth said in the 19th century. In the everchanging 21st century, even the word “habit” carries a negative meaning.

So it seems contradictory to talk about habits in the same context as innovation (创新). But brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative tracks.

Rather than dismissing ourselves as unchangeable creatures of habit, we can instead direct our own change by consciously developing new habits. In fact, the more new things we try, the more creative we become.

But don’t bother trying to kill off old habits; once those ruts of procedure are worn into the brain, they’re there to stay. Instead, the new habits we deliberately press into ourselves create parallel pathways that can bypass those old roads.

“The first thing needed for innovation is attraction to wonder, ”says Dawna Markova, author of The Open Mind. “But we are taught instead to ‘decide’, just as our president calls himself ‘the Decider’.” She adds, however, that “to decide is to kill off all possibilities but one. A good innovational   thinker is always exploring the many other possibilities.”

“All of us work through problems in ways of which we’re unaware, ”she says. Researchers in the late 1960s discovered that humans are born with the ability to approach challenges in four primary ways: analytically, procedurally, collaboratively (合作地) and innovatively. At the end of adolescence, however, the brain shuts down half of that ability, preserving only those ways of thought that have seemed most valuable during the first decade or so of life.

The current emphasis on standardized testing highlights analysis and procedure, meaning that few of us use our innovative and collaborative ways of thought. “This breaks the major rule in the American belief system-that anyone can do anything, ” explains M. J. Ryan, author of the 2006 book This Year I Will... and Ms. Markova’s business partner. “That’s a lie that we have preserved, and it fosters commonness. Knowing what you’re good at and doing even more of it creates excellence.” This is where developing new habits comes in.

Prolonging human life has increased the size of the human population. Many people alive today would have died of childhood diseases if they had been born 100 years ago. Because more people

live longer, there are more people around than at any other given time. In fact, it is a decrease in death rates instead of an increase in birthrates that has led to the population explosion.

Prolonging human life has also increased the dependency load. In all societies, people who are disabled or too young or too old to work are dependent on the rest of society to provide for them. In hunting and gathering cultures, old people who could not keep up might be left behind to die. In times of food shortage, babies might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved, whereas if the parents survived they could have another child. In most present societies, people feel a moral obligation to keep people alive whether they can work or not. We have a great many people today who live past the age at which they want to work or are able to work; we also have rules which require people to retire at a certain age. Unless these people were able to save money for their retirement, somebody else must support them. In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near poverty. Older people have more illnesses than young or middle-aged people; unless they have wealth or private or government insurance, they must often “go on welfare” if they have a serious illness.

When older people become too weak and ill to care for themselves, they create serious problems for their families. In the past and in some traditional cultures, they would be cared for at home until they died. Today, with most members of a household working or in school, there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person. To meet this need, a great many nursing homes and convalescent hospitals have been built. These are often profit-making organizations, although some are sponsored by religious and other nonprofit groups. While a few of these institutions are good, most of them are simply “dumping grounds” for the dying in which “care” is given by poorly-paid, overworked, and under-skilled personnel.

In a world where the lines between work and home are increasingly blurred(模糊的), remote work is becoming a critical part of our daily routines. Whether you switch between working from home and the office, distant work has become a preferred method of working for many. With the rise of secure, efficient, and automatic tools, remote work is becoming more commonplace than ever before.

One such example of this is the popular secure video conferencing platform, Zoom. Zoom’s software is efficient and easy to use, making it a favorite among remote workers. The platform allows users to video conference with colleagues or clients in real-time, regardless of their location. It automatically encrypts(加密) all data transmissions, ensuring that information remains secure during remote meetings.

Another example is the rise of smart home devices, such as smart thermostats(恒温调节器) and security cameras. These devices can be automatically controlled by a secure remote command system, allowing users to adjust thermostats, monitor home security, and even instruct smart home devices to obey specific commands remotely.

Remote work can also offer a more ergonomic(人类工程学的) approach to working. By using adjustable desks and chairs, remote workers can switch between sitting and standing throughout their daily routine. This can help improve overall health and well-being while working from home or remotely.

Despite the efficiency and convenience remote work offers, it also poses some potential risks. One such waning is the potential for distancing between colleagues and clients. It’s important to remember to schedule regular face-to-face meetings to maintain personal relationships and build stronger relationships.

In conclusion, remote work has become an increasingly popular method of working in recent years, offering employees greater flexibility and efficiency while working from home or remotely. Secure, efficient, and automatic tools have made remote work more practical and convenient than ever before. However, it’s important to recognize the potential risks of remote work and take measures to avoid them. Switching between remote work and traditional office work can offer employees a more ergonomic and efficient approach to working.