Nearly half of everything you do is the result of a habit.
A habit is simply a regular tendency or practice that you’ve done again and again, so the behavior becomes automatic.
Many habits are good. They allow our brains to rest and give us the certainty of routines that become automatic and unconscious. It frees up our conscious energy for novel or challenging tasks.
If you feel stuck the culprit may just be habits that no longer serve you.
It’s hard to change unproductive habits because you may not be fully aware of how the habit works or what triggers it. Consciously intervening in your own habitual behavior doesn’t come naturally, so breaking a bad habit requires extra consideration, effort, energy, and accountability.
I find it is especially hard to break a habit if you’re trying to stop doing something. It is much easier if you are replacing a negative habit with a positive one.
The first step is becoming aware of your habits, and deciding on purpose what you’d like to change – and why.
As you reflect on last week and prepare for the coming week think of one habit that may have held you back. Allow yourself to fully think about it even if it makes you uncomfortable. What triggers the habit for you? This awareness will increase your power to change.
What would you like to do differently this week?
Decide now what actions you can take to establish the new habit.
Put those actions in your planner so you remember – and practice them each day.
Remember, it takes an average of 6 weeks to establish a new habit.
The old way of doing things is pretty persistent, so forgive yourself when it happens. And stick with it.
What new habit will you be working on this week?
Leave a comment and let me know!