We are all creatures of habit.  It is the brain's way of conserving energy for tasks that require more processing power, like learning a new language or navigating an unfamiliar part of town.  We don't think about simple tasks like pouring water into a glass, brushing our hair, or even driving to familiar destinations like school or work.  

We also have habits or patterns when we shop.  And in a recent article in the New York Times,  author Charles Duhigg reports on how marketers for retail giant Target were trying to figure out how to leverage the information they have about our shopping habits.  In particular, they were trying to determine if they could pinpoint when a woman is pregnant before she wanted them to know, e.g. registering for their baby program or even buying diapers.

Before I tell you if Target can do that,  ask yourself how you feel about that?  If a company could tell by your habits or changes in habit that you had a change of life circumstance that they could help you deal with through different product or service solutions or even prices, would you accept that help?

Truth is, they can tell a lot about you from your habits and the information they collect.  And they can provide you with very targeted offers.  The problem is it can be a little disconcerting.  Just ask the father who got livid with Target for sending his teen daughter baby coupons.  Little did he know she was pregnant.  Read the article to learn more about his reaction and Target's response to the type of data they collect on us.

So if Target can learn from and address us by our habits, what can we learn about ourselves?  Can we interrupt our familiar patterns to find better alternatives?  Something to think about.