Have you ever wondered why bad habits are so hard to break and good habits take so much effort to stick? It\u2019s usually around this time of the year (New Years) that we take personal inventory of our life and desire to make changes.\u00a0We call those changes resolutions and we home that they lead to habits.\u00a0Have you ever wondered why bad habits are so hard to break and good habits take so much effort to stick?<\/p>\n
Creating these resolutions is a healthy process for bringing about necessary change in our life. Perhaps you are wanting to improve your physical wellbeing by including more physical activity in your life or removing a nicotine addiction. Maybe you looking to change your financial status by spending less, paying off bills, and saving more for the future. Both are very commendable goals.<\/p>\n
Typically speaking, whatever it is we are thinking of doing to improve our life, it\u2019s always easier said than done. Would you agree? One of my favorite discoveries from my own process in 2018 has been, if you truly want things to be<\/strong> different this year, you need to do<\/strong> things differently. We are going to need to break some habits that have been entrenched in our lives for some time now. Next we are going to need to establish some new ones that will move us forward to reach our goals.<\/p>\n Josh Hunt<\/a> wrote a great book called Break a Habit: Make a Habit<\/a> where he gives us 10 essential keys for success. Here is a synopsis of my discoveries.<\/p>\n 1. One Habit at a time.<\/strong> We all know from experience that breaking a bad habit it hard to do. Starting a new one is equally as difficult. Josh explains that the reason we fail to keep New Year\u2019s Resolutions comes down to one letter \u2013 \u201cs\u201d. \u201cWe need to have the humility to appreciate the difficulty of forming a habit and marshal all of our effort and skill toward one habit.\u201d When we spread ourself too thin with multiple goals we more easily break under the pressure.<\/p>\n 2. Bring a Friend with You.<\/strong> Programs like Weight Watchers and AA understand this principle and have amazing results. It\u2019s simply easier when there is someone along side of you coaching and encouraging your efforts.<\/p>\n 3. Make it as Easy as Possible.<\/strong> Habits are hard. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about trying hard; it is about adjusting your environment to make habit forming easier.\u201d One of his examples is that he keeps a bowl of apples in the middle of the kitchen, and often munches on one or two a day. If there were Snickers in that bowl instead of apples, he would eat Snickers and would gain 50 pounds more. Think smarter and plan ahead to make difficult habits a little easier to handle.<\/p>\n 4. The Power of a List.<\/strong> I know that some people don\u2019t have the love affair with lists like I do, but I promise you if you give lists a chance, you\u2019ll see a difference on many levels. Lists can include pros vs cons, projects, people, or priorities just to name a few. Lists will keep you focused and help you to see how \u201cdoable\u201d your goals really are. Additionally, as Josh states, with a strong enough why, the how will nearly always take care of itself.<\/p>\n 5. The Principle of Replacement.<\/strong> If you\u2019re spending time focused on accomplishing your good habit (exercise, proper dieting, praying), what are you NOT doing? Exactly! As I\u2019m chomping on this big juicy Gala apple, I\u2019m NOT eating those salt & vinegar chips that I was tempted to snack on.<\/p>\n 6. Consider Two Good Ways to Form a Habit.<\/strong> Have you ever heard it said, \u201cthere\u2019s more than one way to skin a cat\u201d? Come up with a few different options of how you can begin your habit. \u201cWhen you get in a cold swimming pool, do you dive in all at once, or wade in slowly?\u201d It\u2019s simply a matter of preference, style, and personality, but either one gets you in the water.<\/p>\n 7. Whatever Gets Rewarded, Gets Repeated.<\/strong> Since you\u2019re giving list making a try, create one that shows possible rewards that would motivate you to the finish line. Maybe it could be a new outfit when you loose 10 pounds or Starbucks coffee with your friend every time you finish reading another book of the Bible. Make them marking moments like points on a map and celebrate your victories. It will motivate you, giving you something to look forward to at each level of success.<\/p>\n 8. Work Through the Dip.<\/strong> We\u2019ve all experienced days of discouragement and even failure. On those bad days you may want to quit. This is the dip. \u201cSuccess in many arenas of life is learning to make it through the dip.\u201d Plan for it BUT don\u2019t give in to it! Push through! Your second wind will kick in and you can finish strong.<\/p>\n 9. Measure What Matters.<\/strong> I just signed up for The Million Pound Challenge with some friends from my YMCA. One of the many features of the program is that you measure what matters: weight, activity (exercise), sleep, and food intake. Those four things are being measured because they have a direct impact on the habit of living a healthier lifestyle. So, get a journal, create a spreadsheet, or whatever you feel will work to measure what matters in the process of forming your habit.<\/p>\n 10. Goals.<\/strong> Brian Tracy says, \u201cSuccess is about goal-setting; the rest is commentary.\u201d<\/em> The goal is forming that good habit and it almost always obliterates a negative one. Determining that habit is usually pretty easy. We know pretty clearly the habits we need to get rid of and others that we need to start. Setting attainable goals is a bit more difficult and takes some strategic thinking, but it sets us on a course toward success.<\/p>\n The next step is now up to you. What habit(s) might you need to break to start off your new year? What habits would it be a good idea for you to start in order to move forward in the right direction for 2019? Why not grab a journal and write them down? How do you think your life would be changed if you followed through with just one habit using these 10 steps?<\/p>\n