Changing Bad Habits
We are flooded with messages every single day that we can transform ourselves into something different if we only change our habits. The messages bombard us on social media, TV shows, and unsolicited advice from family and friends. But actually transforming yourself day to day isn't as easy as they make it sound. It's not that the advice doesn't really work, rather it's that we cant see the advice through until it becomes a part of our natural habits. One reason why Sunday night expectations fall by the wayside by Monday midday is because bad habits suck the life out of good intentions.
We all have patterns or habits that are good and habits that are bad. The bad ones are always the hardest to change. If you really want to be different or feel different in any way you have to act differently. You have to get rid of, or reduce, the bad habits and build up the positive habits. It is really that simple. But before you decide to rewrite everything about yourself, try this much easier and definitely more successful method. Go slow, just a step at a time and try this:
List a few of your bad habits on a piece of paper. Don’t go crazy here, just a few specific and small habits that interfere with daily happiness and success. The trick here is to remember to only include your behaviors, not anything that others do or don't do. Here are a few examples:
My Bad Habits
I spend an extra hour of screen time which eats into me getting eight hours of regular sleep.
I keep buying barbecue chips that scream from the pantry “eat me” all week
I regularly procrastinate the laundry so the kids complain they can't find clean clothes.
Too often I have a dull morning headache because of the extra glass of wine at dinner.
See, super simple. They are all small and involve just me.
Now, jot down one change you intend to make. Just one and write it down with a Sharpie and post it up in your house. Consider what can make this change happen and what will stand in your way. Then figure out how you will alter your life to make the small change happen. For example: Don’t buy barbecue chips anymore. Also, set yourself up for success by skipping the chip aisle entirely at the market and avoid going to the store hungry.
You can do this for as many bad habits as you want to change. The key is to not take your eye off the ball. Research says a behavior must be repeated many, many times before it sets into your brain as a habit, so don’t stop. Some habits will be easier to break than others, and that’s okay too! If you’re looking for an easy way to keep good habits in your life, consider scheduling some self-care into your daily routine. For help with this, check out our SELF-CARE FREEBIE to get started with a new, positive habit.
After a month, change the sticky notes to the next goal and get going on that one. Whatever you do, don’t throw away the old sticky notes. Keep them up, look at them, and revel in your success. Keep going and voila, little by little, baby step after baby step, you can build the life you want.
