We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. Good habits are our best friends. Because we perform them unconsciously, they allow us to concentrate on other important endeavors.
On the other hand, the opposite is true for bad habits. They encumber us, enslave us, and ensnare us, preventing us from moving forward in our lives.
Nathaniel Emons wrote, "Habit is either the best of servants or the worst of masters." The paradox is, we make our habits and then they turn around and make us.
Habits form the engine beneath the hood of a car. Good habits move us forward, bad habits set the car in reverse. It's important to continually look out the window and see which direction we are moving.
If we want to improve our lives, we've got to replace bad habits with good ones.
Here are 5 steps to making that process a little easier:
1. Become aware of your bad habits.
Since we perform them automatically or without thinking, we first have to bring them into our consciousness before we can change them.
2. Monitor the seriousness of your bad habit.
"I'm watching TV 2.5 hours a day...not bad. That's 17.5 hours a week, 3 days a month, or almost one month a year" Wow, I didn't know how much time I was waisting. (Now you're ready to move on to the next step.)
3. Examine the motivation.
Why do I watch so much TV? To escape, numb the pain, procrastinate?
4. Examine the consequences.
What am I losing by watching too much TV? Be specific.
5. DECISION time.
Now that you've gathered the facts, its time to unleash the power of a decision. The minute you make a decision, you set in motion a new cause, a new direction and a new destination for your life!
Some more thoughts on changing habits:
Change is temporary unless we make is permanent.
New habits are formed by repetition, replacing the old with the new.
It takes 21 to 30 days of repetition to form a new habit. Don't skip a day... and start over if you do!
Habits are subconscious; the part of the brain they come from is called the basal ganglia. Research shows that the basal ganglia responds greatly to the reward system!
Strong positive motivators help develop or break bad habits; rewards, positive self talk, visualization.
Sow a thought, reap an action
Sow an acton, reap a habit
Sow a habit, reap a character
Sow a character, reap a destiny!
We are what we repeatedly do! Choose today what you will repeatedly do.
Here's a visual for you to use in your imagery exercises:
It's a beautiful spring day. The sun is shining and the leaves are popping out on all the trees. You walk out to your car and get in to go for a drive. You are so aware when you slip into the drivers seat that you are 20 pounds lighter than you were 8 weeks ago. You feel great! As you start the car, you remember that your habits are the engine under the hood. The car starts and you are definitely moving forward. As you drive you think about all the habits that you have chosen to change. All the habits that have been newly formed to bring you to this place.
You feel proud, confident and sure of yourself. The choices you are making every day are getting you what you want! You come to a red light and stop. You look down at your body. Your thighs, your abdomen...you realize how slim you feel. Your new habits are paying off. You are excited that you are in charge of your own body and you are walking in self control. The discipline you've shown is yielding peace, contentment and joy. You believe for the first time in your life that you can really keep this weight off, that you really are changing.
The light turns green, you put your foot on the gas pedal, out of habit, and you move forward. The direction you've always wanted to go.
Always encouraging you,
Letha
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