Category: Habits

Habits form the foundation of our daily lives. From the moment we wake up until the moment we fall asleep, we are following routines that we have developed over time. Some of these habits can be beneficial, while others can be harmful. For example, smoking, overeating, and procrastinating are all habits that can negatively impact our health, productivity, and overall happiness. Changing these habits can be challenging, but with these five tips, anyone can change habits that no longer serve them.

Tip 1: Identify the Habit

The first step to changing any habit is to identify it. Sometimes a habit becomes so ingrained in our daily routine that we don’t even realize we’re doing it. To identify a habit, start by reflecting on your daily routines and making a list of behaviors that you want to change. It could be something as small as biting your nails or excessively checking your phone, or something more significant like smoking or overeating.

Once you have identified the habit, write it down and reflect on why you want to change it. Ask yourself, what benefits will changing this habit bring? Having a clear understanding of what you want to achieve can help keep you motivated and focused on your goal.

Tip 2: Determine the Triggers

Once you have identified the habit, the next step is to determine what triggers it. A trigger is something that causes you to perform the habit, whether it’s a feeling, a situation, or a location. For example, if your habit is overeating, you might find that you are triggered by stress or boredom.

To determine the triggers, start by paying close attention to when you perform the habit. Take note of what you were feeling, what you were doing, and where you were. Once you have identified the triggers, you can start to develop strategies to avoid or manage them.

Tip 3: Replace the Habit

One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to change habits is simply trying to eliminate them. However, habits are deeply ingrained in our daily routines, and eliminating them altogether can be challenging. Instead, focus on replacing the habit with healthier behavior.

For example, if your habit is smoking, you might replace it with exercise or meditation. If your habit is overeating, you might replace it with healthy snacking or drinking more water. By finding an alternative behavior that serves the same purpose as the habit, you can gradually replace the habit with a healthier one.

Tip 4: Track Progress

Tracking your progress is an essential part of changing habits. It can help you stay motivated, see how far you’ve come, and make adjustments to your approach if necessary. You can track progress in many ways, such as keeping a journal, using a habit-tracking app, or simply checking in with yourself regularly.

To track progress effectively, set specific, measurable goals. For example, if you’re trying to quit smoking, you might set a goal to reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke each day by 50% in the first two weeks. By tracking your progress towards this goal, you can see if your approach is working and make adjustments if necessary.

Tip 5: Get Support

Finally, getting support from others can be incredibly helpful when changing habits. It can provide accountability, motivation, and a different perspective on the habit. There are many ways to get support, such as joining a support group, working with a coach, or simply talking to friends and family.

When seeking support, be specific about what you need. Do you need someone to check in with you regularly? Do you need advice on how to overcome obstacles? Whatever your needs are, communicate them clearly to your support system.

Goals.

How many times in your life have you heard that you just need to “set a goal”, work at it, and you will achieve it! 

Need to lose weight? Set a goal.

Want to start a garden in your backyard? Set a goal.

Want to graduate from college? Set a goal.

No matter what it is you want to do, it seems like all you need to do is master goal setting, and you can do it!

If you’ve been taken in by the idea of goal setting and achievement, this article is for you. Read on to learn more.

Why Goals Don’t Work

The first question we have for you concerning goals is: “How’s it been going for you so far?”

That is, How many specific goals have you set and achieved so far in your life?

Not many, you say?

Hmm.

In fact, that isn’t very surprising. 

Now, this isn’t to say that if you haven’t been able to “set attainable goals and achieve them” you’re a failure. Not at all. In fact, what we are saying is that the way you were taught to go about improving your life (with goals) doesn’t work.

Why? Because goal setting doesn’t identify the messy stuff that’s required for change.. 

Learning anything new, developing any type of new habit … it’s messy. If you want to attain a new skill, stop yourself from repeating bad habits, or alter the physical world around you, you have to slow everything down and actually change the way you think and make decisions.

Goal setting only talks about the end result. 

For example, if you want to lose 50 pounds, the goal is a 50-pound weight loss. But what goes into that? 

This type of achievement is way more complicated than just stating that you want to lose 50 pounds.

If you want to lose 50 pounds, you’re going to have to change the way you eat. This will mean taking a multitude of extremely small, detailed, and well thought-out actions. 

For example, you may need to start taking your lunch to work, which will mean you’ll need to change your nighttime routine to incorporate lunch-making. You may need to start buying different foods at the grocery store, which will mean researching which foods you’ll need and which foods you shouldn’t get. You may need to stop going to Thursday Night Happy Hour with your coworkers, which will mean explaining to everyone why you aren’t going.

And what does all of this come down to: Problem solving

Problem Solving: Opening Up Space to Make Different Decisions

Instead of worrying about your goals and goal achievement, it’s time to start focusing on solving your problems. What are the problems that are continually keeping you away from progress and away from your “goals”?

Identifying and solving each of these issues — no matter how small — ultimately means pausing when you come up against one and deciding consciously to change your behaviors, thoughts, and actions.

The way to start is with a pause. From there, you can see what problem or issue lies before you. And after that, you can decide to either do the thing that will get you closer to your “goal” or do the other thing that will keep you further away from your “goal”. 

Slow down, pause, realize, and make a new decision. Then repeat. Your life will change for the better in ways you cannot even imagine.