Volitional habits are formed through the repetition of conscious, intentional actions, where initially deliberate efforts gradually transform into automatic reactions, thereby freeing resources for higher cognitive processes such as thinking and creativity.

Unlocking Creative Potential: Insights on Volitional Habit Formation

Volitional habits are formed through the repetition of conscious, intentional actions, where initially deliberate efforts gradually transform into automatic reactions, thereby freeing resources for higher cognitive processes such as thinking and creativity. In particular, the author examines the development of habits in children as a result of volitional movements: through constant regulation of actions using willpower, the intellectual energy that was previously devoted to this control becomes available for higher tasks. “When movement becomes a habit, volitional regulation gives way to automation, and higher spiritual work receives the energy that was formerly expended on conscious control” ( link txt).

Furthermore, experiments indicate that the process of habit formation has several phases, which depend on the initial emotional intensity and the nature of the actions performed. For example, if the work begins with a strong surge of emotion, subsequent repetition may exert only a weak influence on habit formation, whereas a less emotional, steady beginning promotes rapid acquisition of movements and their stronger automation. This distinction allows for identifying types of habit formation varying from slow and profound to fast and weak, a factor that is highly significant in pedagogical influence ( link txt).

Such formation of volitional habits has a positive effect on intellectual development and creative activity, since the freed intellectual energy can be channeled into higher forms of spiritual and creative work. In other words, the more meaningful habits one forms through volitional activity, the less energy is wasted on self-control, leaving more resources available for creative and intellectual tasks.

Supporting citation(s):
“Let us turn to the question of habit development in children. It is well known that habits develop from volitional movements… If a habit develops from volitional activity, then the intellectual energy that was necessary for the volitional regulation of movements becomes free and is utilized for higher spiritual work. The more ‘volitional’ habits we possess, the more actions we perform without conscious involvement, and the more energy remains available for higher spiritual work.” (source: link txt)

“Data on the initial phases of habit formation are intriguing. In their experiments (…) the repetition of uniform movements has a very weak influence on habit formation in such individuals. … The combination of these two aspects suggests four types of habits: slow and profound, slow and weak, fast and profound, and fast and weak. This has enormous importance for understanding the fate of habits, as well as for pedagogical influence and intervention.” (source: link txt)