the habits of thought are like paths you've worn through the tall grass of your mind. Because they are already there, it is easy to go down those paths, you do it automatically while paying attention to other things, you run down them, and, following them, you always wind up at the same destinations.
Turning aside from those paths can be difficult. There is no clear trail the direction you want to go. It might seem dangerous - who knows what lurks in there? The going is slow, purposeful, you can't do it automatically the way you are used to traveling.
but the destination that lies in that direction will make you a better, more fulfilled person. So you keep at it.
The earlier you turn aside from the worn paths the better. When I was finding paths that did not lead to anger, i tried to notice the first steps on the path. It wasn't being angry, that was the destination. The first steps were things like listing all the things that were going wrong in my day, or my inner monologue adopting a sour tone. Then i would know what path i was on, and i could try to turn aside. I could notice when i was listing reasons to be upset, and i could say "but what are reasons my day is good tho"
it wasn't easy. It didn't feel like it solved anything. It didn't magically and instantly open new paths through the tall grass of my mind. I had to push through and get my feet wet and stub my toe on rocks and try to avoid the negative thought creatures that lurk in the tall grass, and sometimes i would shove and sweat my way through the thick vegetation only to find myself right back on the anger path.
But eventually you find a better destination, and, just like the deer who follow the same route over their hill, a little trail becomes worn through that tall grass of your mind. It gets easier to go the same way every time, and in doing so you help the trail become a clear path and one day you realize you are running down that path automatically while paying attention to other things.
and when you go look at the old path you used to take, you find it has all but disappeared into the overgrowth
