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18 Tips to Start Habits You Want and Stop Ones You Don't
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You know successful habits create success. The challenge is doing them.
Here are tips from someone who hasn't missed his daily habits in over five years.
Here are tips from someone who hasn't missed his daily habits in over five years.
1. Commit to Thirty Days
Three to four weeks is all the time you need to make a habit automatic.
If you can make it through the initial conditioning phase, it becomes much easier to sustain.
Three to four weeks is all the time you need to make a habit automatic.
If you can make it through the initial conditioning phase, it becomes much easier to sustain.
2. Make it Daily
Consistency is critical if you want to make a habit stick.
If you want to start exercising, go to the gym every day for your first thirty days.
Activities you do once every few days are trickier to lock in as habits.
Consistency is critical if you want to make a habit stick.
If you want to start exercising, go to the gym every day for your first thirty days.
Activities you do once every few days are trickier to lock in as habits.
3. Start Simple
Don’t try to completely change your life in one day.
It is easy to get over-motivated and take on too much.
If you wanted to study two hours a day, first make the habit to go for thirty minutes and build on that.
Don’t try to completely change your life in one day.
It is easy to get over-motivated and take on too much.
If you wanted to study two hours a day, first make the habit to go for thirty minutes and build on that.
4. Remind Yourself
Around two weeks into your commitment, it can be easy to forget.
Place reminders to execute your habit each day or you might miss a few days.
If you miss time it defeats the purpose of setting a habit, to begin with.
Around two weeks into your commitment, it can be easy to forget.
Place reminders to execute your habit each day or you might miss a few days.
If you miss time it defeats the purpose of setting a habit, to begin with.
5. Stay Consistent
The more consistent on habit the easier it will be to stick.
If you want to start exercising, try going at the same time, to the same place for your 30 days.
When cues like time of day, place, and circumstances are the same in each case it is easier to stick.
The more consistent on habit the easier it will be to stick.
If you want to start exercising, try going at the same time, to the same place for your 30 days.
When cues like time of day, place, and circumstances are the same in each case it is easier to stick.
6. Get a Buddy
Find someone who will go along with you and keep you motivated if you feel like quitting.
Find someone who will go along with you and keep you motivated if you feel like quitting.
7. Form a Trigger
A trigger is a ritual you use right before executing your habit.
If you wanted to wake up earlier, this could mean waking up in exactly the same way each morning.
A trigger is a ritual you use right before executing your habit.
If you wanted to wake up earlier, this could mean waking up in exactly the same way each morning.
8. Replace Lost Needs
If you are giving up something in your habit, make sure you are adequately replacing any needs you’ve lost.
If watching television gave you a way to relax, you could take up meditation or reading as a way to replace that same need.
If you are giving up something in your habit, make sure you are adequately replacing any needs you’ve lost.
If watching television gave you a way to relax, you could take up meditation or reading as a way to replace that same need.
9. Be Imperfect
Don’t expect all your attempts to change habits to be successful immediately.
Try your best, but expect a few bumps along the way.
Don’t expect all your attempts to change habits to be successful immediately.
Try your best, but expect a few bumps along the way.
10. Use “But”
A prominent habit changing therapist once told me this great technique for changing bad thought patterns.
When you start to think negative thoughts, use the word “but” to interrupt them.
“I’m no good at this, but, if I work at it I might get better later.”
A prominent habit changing therapist once told me this great technique for changing bad thought patterns.
When you start to think negative thoughts, use the word “but” to interrupt them.
“I’m no good at this, but, if I work at it I might get better later.”
11. Remove Temptation
Restructure your environment so it won’t tempt you in the first thirty days.
Remove junk food from your house,
cancel your cable subscription,
throw out the cigarettes so you won’t need to struggle with willpower later.
Restructure your environment so it won’t tempt you in the first thirty days.
Remove junk food from your house,
cancel your cable subscription,
throw out the cigarettes so you won’t need to struggle with willpower later.
12. Associate With Role Models
Spend more time with people who model the habits you want to mirror.
A recent study found that having an obese friend indicated you were more likely to become fat.
You become what you spend time around.
Spend more time with people who model the habits you want to mirror.
A recent study found that having an obese friend indicated you were more likely to become fat.
You become what you spend time around.
13. Run it as an Experiment
Withhold judgment until after a month has passed and used it as an experiment in behavior.
Experiments can’t fail, they just have different results so they will give you a different perspective on changing your habit.
Withhold judgment until after a month has passed and used it as an experiment in behavior.
Experiments can’t fail, they just have different results so they will give you a different perspective on changing your habit.
14. Swish
Visualize yourself performing the bad habit.
Next, visualize yourself pushing aside the bad habit and performing an alternative.
Finally, end that sequence with an image of yourself in a highly positive state.
Visualize yourself performing the bad habit.
Next, visualize yourself pushing aside the bad habit and performing an alternative.
Finally, end that sequence with an image of yourself in a highly positive state.
See yourself picking up the cigarette,
see yourself putting it down and snapping your fingers,
finally, visualize yourself running and breathing free.
Do it a few times until you automatically go through the pattern before executing the old habit.
see yourself putting it down and snapping your fingers,
finally, visualize yourself running and breathing free.
Do it a few times until you automatically go through the pattern before executing the old habit.
15. Write it Down
A piece of paper with a resolution on it isn’t that important. Writing that resolution is.
Writing makes your ideas more clear and focuses you on your end result.
A piece of paper with a resolution on it isn’t that important. Writing that resolution is.
Writing makes your ideas more clear and focuses you on your end result.
16. Know the Benefits
Familiarize yourself with the benefits of making a change.
Familiarize yourself with the benefits of making a change.
Get books that show the benefits of regular exercise.
Notice any changes in energy levels after you take on a new diet.
Imagine getting better grades after improving your study habits.
Notice any changes in energy levels after you take on a new diet.
Imagine getting better grades after improving your study habits.
17. Know the Pain
You should also be aware of the consequences.
Exposing yourself to realistic information about the downsides of not making a change will give you added motivation.
You should also be aware of the consequences.
Exposing yourself to realistic information about the downsides of not making a change will give you added motivation.
18. Do it For Yourself
Don’t worry about all the things you “should” have as habits.
Instead, tool your habits towards your goals and the things that motivate you.
Weak guilt and empty resolutions aren’t enough.
Don’t worry about all the things you “should” have as habits.
Instead, tool your habits towards your goals and the things that motivate you.
Weak guilt and empty resolutions aren’t enough.
