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Old habits die hard and new habits can be difficult to sustain. Change is tough. Change requires willpower, determination, and effort.
Change is necessary if you’re planning to adopt winning habits, particularly those that seem “foreign” to you or take you out of your “comfort zone.” Winners, high achievers, and super-star performers all have adopted winning habits – habits that the average performer simply avoids, shuns, or dismisses.
Choose one thing you want to change, maybe it’s a habit you want to adopt or an old habit you want to drop, and try this:
Get clarity on exactly what you want to do and write it down, preferably somewhere it will remain visible to you (in your line of sight). Write down the reasons you want to adopt or change the habit.
Why is it important to you? How will it affect your work life, personal life, relationships, and peace of mind? Who do you know who is currently a role model for the habit you’re trying to change or adopt?
Look around, find someone, or seek someone out. Ask them how they do it, why they do it, and how they navigate through the things that challenge the habit.
Look for another existing good habit that you have that you can piggy back the new habit off of. Connect them together, link them to each other. Tell others what you’re trying to do. Ask for their support, and give them permission to give you feedback if they observe you getting off track from your new habit.
Encourage them to observe, watch, and comment. Tell them you’ll do the same for them if they have something they’re trying to change. Start ASAP. Begin today or first thing tomorrow morning.
Get the momentum going as soon as possible. Start with a “30-day” trial period. Simply commit to the habit for 30 days and keep score – note it on your calendar or in your journal. Thirty days, no excuses.
All of us can do just about anything for 30 days. Stop and reflect after 30 days. Note the benefits you’ve realized from adopting the new habit – write them down, soak them in. Then, keep going; why stop now?
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
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