Considering that I think a lot about habits and personal improvement, one question doesn't leave me alone.
Do you need to know for what you are doing a specific action or does it not matter and the effect will be there anyways?
Rephrase:
Will it be more effective when you know what you are doing something for? (actually, by phrasing it that way, that seems like the obvious answer. And there comes the power of leading questions.)
What I mean is that I have installed a few habits for a specific purpose or know what certain actions trigger within me.
1. Every day after I wake up, I make my bed to feel a first accomplishment and cleanliness in my room. Then I open the window and drink a glass of water to get my day started. Additionally, I spend 5-10 minutes with short exercises and/or stretching to give me a feeling of self respect. By doing those I set myself up for the day and already had a good start no matter what happens. Plus my mind is usually better structured and I am therefore more focused and not that easy to distract from unimportant things.
2. Sports, especially running. I've done a lot of sports and would consider myself quite sporty as in I can compete on a decent level across different areas. However, only running makes me feel lean and eat healthy to stay there.
Question: do I eat healthy afterwards because I know what it triggers in me and that is just a known behaviour afterwards like a chain. Go running -> eat a healthy meal. Or would I also eat that way if I wouldn't know it.
I guess I found the answer. It is rather depending on how far you are already into it that you know or don't know it.
For example for the running situation: Let's imagine I would start, then I don't know what it triggers but I find myself eating healthier after sports and feeling leaner. After a while I will associate those to feelings and therefore know what it is for.
Thus, to come back to the original question: the benefits will manifest themselves when you don't know them, but it sure helps to motivate yourself when you know them before.