We are all creatures of habit. We can go through most of our day without really thinking how things get done or how they happen.

For example, consider how you brush your teeth. Minimal thought goes into the process: enter the bathroom, pick up the toothbrush, put a dab of toothpaste (probably too much but that's another column), and you start brushing. 

But what would happen if you switched hands holding the brush? If you are right-handed, using your left hand may make you take longer to finish, you might jab the toothbrush into your cheek, you might finish feeling like you missed a few spots. 

It most likely will feel a bit awkward. But ultimately, you just may have just made yourself smarter by rewiring your brain and creating new neuropathways - regardless of your age. 

Add in standing on one foot while brushing to improve your balance and your morning routine may be the most exciting part of your day. 

The way we brush our teeth is a great example of doing something the same way because that's how we've always done it. 

So often, we operate on auto-pilot, going through our day without much thought or without much intention. 

How often have you started driving and found yourself at the wrong location because you zoned out somewhere along the way? You automatically went where you likely go normally rather than your intended destination. 

It is actually kind of scary to consider how unaware we are sometimes.

This is personally alarming because I spend a lot of time biking, including on the shoulders of surrounding highways. I try not to think about how many drivers are on cruise-control, both physically with their car and mentally in their awareness.

What actually got me thinking about doing things the way we always do them was watching people park their cars. 

Most of us don’t even think twice when parking our cars. We just pull into a spot, shift into park and go on with our day. 

Yet, if you take a moment to think about the situation, such as, “Is there a better, safer way to be doing this?”

Some parking is dictated by design such as diagonal lines. You pull into a spot when you arrive. When you leave, you slowly ease out into traffic, hoping no cars are coming and no one is in your blind spot. Now consider what pulling out as you leave would be like if the diagonal parking was reversed…you backed into the spot upon arrival when you were fully aware of your surroundings and then just drove out forward when leaving. 

This isn't as wild or unheard of as you think…I tried it on the Creighton University campus in Omaha a few years ago. 

Backing into a parking spot is more likely an option with traditional perpendicular lots.

Some people argue against backing into spots because it can cause a vehicle behind you to wait. It may cause a traffic jam if the following vehicle doesn't realize you are backing into a spot and pulls to far forward. 

But backing into a spot is statistically speaking safer for the driver as well as pedestrians. You are just more aware of your surroundings upon your arrival than when you leave. You are pulling into clear traffic versus dealing with blind spots. AAA recommends it as does the National Safety Council. 

This simple habit is one of the easiest ways to improve your driving safety. 

Some habits help us get through the day easily. Some habits help us be more efficient. But we shouldn't just take what we do every day without question, not when it could make us healthier, could make us more aware, could make us safer…except if you are brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand as you back into your parking spot.