Breaking Bad…Habits in 5 Steps

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As we wrap up one year, many people think about the universal re-set button that December 31st brings. This is the time when you then task yourself to make life altering changes for the next 365 days swearing on a blood oath that “this is the year” that you will complete your mission of change.
As you have either experienced or witnessed, this is not always the case for the majority of us.

So why does this happen?
Habits. Old habits are hard to break but I have news for you. It is indeed possible to break habits. I bet there are many habits during your lifetime that you have broken without remembering that it was any different than it is right now. Let us take a look at a few.

Crawling.
Crying at the top of your lungs every time you are hungry.
Biting your fingernails.

I would like to think that many of you have replaced (most of) these with more useful behaviours at this stage of life. Sure these things are fundamental, but at one point you weren’t capable of such things. How exactly did you break these habits?

You created new ones.

You created your new habits with determination, help and support, that’s how. From the moment you began your life on this earth, you had these qualities and life assets that you should have with you to this very day.

Take learning to walk for example. You saw people around you do it; you wanted what the world of walking could bring to you. You had help and encouragement from people that cared about you and wanted you to succeed as much as you did, perhaps even more. With many trials and errors and likely a few scares and bruises along the way, there was nothing that could stop you from learning how to walk.

This new habit, called walking, changed your life. Forever.

Imagine if you set yourself up for success the very same way in other aspects of your life? What would that look like to you?

First, you need to make sure new the habit or behavior you want to be or have, will forever change your life for the better. You need to imagine, see and feel what having this will do for your life.

Second, you need find support. Surround yourself with people who are really good at the doing what you want to do, and want to see you enjoy it the same way they are.

Third, don’t give up after the first try. Try and try again. It may be a little uncomfortable or even scary. Keep asking for and accepting the help from others that want you to succeed because they care about you. If people gave up after their first attempts, we would have no plane, trains or Viagra.

Fourth, keep at this new habit until it sticks. It should be so natural that it becomes such a part of you that you can do it successfully without even thinking.

Lastly, be there for someone else who is now where you once were. Imagine being a part of the cycle of learning, sharing and growing for something that takes little effort from you, but has a huge impact on someone else.

As the new year fast approaches, I encourage you to take that dream, habit and goal of yours once and for all and try approaching them this way. If not, find something you are excellent that is second nature to you and help someone else with their goal and dream of a new way of being, doing and living.
Start walking.