Habit is overcome by habit.

"A nail is driven out by another nail. 

Habit is overcome by habit."
Desiderius Erasmus

 

What is the best way to break a bad habit?  Focus on creating new good behaviors (habits) that replace the bad habits.  It feels much better to focus on doing something good then it does to focus on trying not to do something that you like to do or that you are used to doing.

For example: If you want to stop eating so many sweets, instead of focusing on NOT eating sweets... try focusing on eating more fruit & veggies - regardless of how many sweets you eat. As you start filling your hunger with other type of foods, your desire for sweets will decrease. 

Will's Wisdom

I found this video inspiring and great to watch if you start to doubt your ability to change your world.

Habit is what keeps you going.

"Motivation is what gets you started.  

Habit is what keeps you going."  ~Jim Ryun 

If I had a nickel for every time I started something... well never-mind I don't have those nickels and I also fully agree with the quote above. Excitement and motivation are great, but if you don't apply the persistence and commitment needed to make something a habit, when the excitement wears off, all your great plans and efforts can fade away.

First we make our habits ...

"First we make our habits, 

then our habits make us." 

-Charles C. Noble

This quote makes me think about how really hard it is to change established bad habits. I don't think this means that we can't change - I have known a few people who truly made lasting and impressive changes.  However, from my experience it is much more common to see people who need/want to make a change but have a difficult time making changes that last.

Sometimes seemingly small bad habits can have huge effects on people's lives.  I have some "little" bad habits that I know I need to change, I want to change, they seem easy to change and I periodically make an effort to change...but I still find myself slipping into these old habits whenever I am not diligent. I think the fact that they seem like fairly "minor" bad habits makes it easier to excuse my own behavior, but I beleive these "little"  habits add up and are keeping me from reaching some of my goals. 

This issue is really the reason I decided to blog. I hope the attention needed will keep me focused on creating habits that make my life better... not worse.

Making permanent changes ... one habit at a time.

I always get excited when I decide to make a change.  I can't wait to get started and one good idea sparks another. Before I know it I am trying to change multiple habits at once.  For example, if I want to lose weight I might decide to; eat breakfast every day, walk for 30 minutes 4 times a week, cutout all sugar, count calories and journal daily. In my excitement, all of the items seem very doable, but a therapist friend of mine explains that people have much better success if they focus on changing just one habit at a time.  I did some additional research online and find a common theme... if you really want to make a change that lasts, focus on one behavior/habit at a time.  Once the first habit has a foothold you can add another.

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Making permanent changes ... one habit at a time. 

•  Pick only one new habit to focus on each week.  
• Give yourself a real chance at success. Don't add a new habit until you are feeling successful with the first one... if it take 2-3 weeks per habit, that's OK.  
• Once you are ready, add the next habit... but don't stop working on the first one until it is ingrained (at least 2 months.)    In this manner, you could form 26+  real, lasting habit changes each year.
• Don't overwhelm yourself. Limit the total number of active habits you are working on to 3-5 at any one time.

•  Record your efforts.
• Logging your progress will help you succeed.  Track your efforts daily for at least a month.  This is an easy way to keep yourself accountable. The longer consciously work on making or breaking a habit, the better your chances at a long term success.   Some common ways to track your progress include journalism, making notes on a calendar or using a online tool or mobile app.

•  Reward your success. 
• Set a reward for yourself when you reach the 21 day & 60 day mark.  There is a saying that it takes 21 days to create a new habit  however, newer studies report that it is more like 60 days.  Either way I say reward yourself!  Setting a reward can help provide motivation to keep you going after the excitement wears off.
  

When doing this research, I was excited to realize that in just one year, I could make (or break) dozens of habits.  This concept sounds very doable and I think it could be life changing for me. -metoday

I will push you onward or drag you down...

I must admit... I feel best when my actions match my intentions. I am determined to be the person I hoped to be. -JM

Who am I? 

I am your constant companion,
I am your greatest helper or your heaviest burden.
I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.
I am at your command.

Half of the tasks that you do,
you might just as well turn over to me
and I will do them quickly and correctly.

I am easily managed,
but you must be firm with me.
Show me exactly how you want something done;
after a few lessons I will do it automatically.

I am the servant of all great people
and alas of all failures as well.
Those who are great I have made great,
those who are failures I have made failures.

I am not a machine,
but I work with all the precision of a machine,
plus the intelligence of a person.

Now you may run me for profit or
you may run me for ruin.
It makes no difference to me.

Take me, train me, be firm with me,
and I will lay the world at your feet.
Be easy with me and I will destroy you.

Who am I? I am called Habit.

- Author Unknown

I found this poem on the web at www.inspirational-e-quotes.com

"Habit" according to Wikipedia

"Habits are routines of behavior that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously, without one being conscious about them. Habitual behavior often goes unnoticed in persons exhibiting it, because a person does not need to engage in self-analysis when undertaking routine tasks. Habituation is an extremely simple form of learning, in which an organism, after a period of exposure to a stimulus, stops responding to that stimulus in varied manners. Habits are sometimes compulsory." Wikipedia

I have realized .....

I have realized that am a bundle of habits. So much of what makes me me, are those thing I do with out having to think about it. Some habits make my life better like brushing my teeth everyday, others like interrupting or eating when I feel stressed get in the way of who I want to be.