Break your old habits with 3 golden tips
Do you want to get rid of your bad habits and work on a new, improved version of yourself? With these steps, you'll finally let go of your old routines and create space for setting up and maintaining efficient habits.
Using these 3 tips, you'll learn how to 'reprogram' yourself optimally, how easy it can be to learn good habits, and how to leave your old ways behind once and for all.
This way, you'll learn routines that help you achieve success, and your dream life will gradually come into view!
Discover the nature of the habit
One habit is not the same as another; and therefore, there's no magic recipe that works for unlearning different types of rituals. Before you develop a plan of action, it's essential to get a clear picture of the type of habit you're trying to change.
Luckily, there's a good chance your bad habits fall into one of these 3 main categories, and you'll quickly discover their true nature.
1. Unconscious habits
These are those annoying traits and habits that you perform unconsciously and don't even think about. For example, using certain filler words, adopting a particular posture, or covering your mouth when you cough.
These simple habits may seem harmless and everyday, but they're often difficult to unlearn because of that. But don't be afraid, you'll also get rid of these habits with a good plan.
2. Compulsive habits
These habits arise from a psychological urge and often manifest in small routines and actions. Now, you might think of things like a fear of dirt, nose-picking, and those kinds of tics; but don't be mistaken, addictions also fall under the 'compulsive' category.
Do you eat yourself sick with a particular snack, can't stay away from a cigarette, or drink your sixth cup of coffee by mid-afternoon? There's a good chance your bad habits are compulsive. Luckily, these rituals are easy to recognize, and that's half the battle!
3. Daily habits
The most obvious habits are the actions and routines that are part of your daily 'rhythm'. What sets this category apart? These habits are deeply ingrained in your daily life and form a clear, repetitive pattern.
These innocent habits have a significant impact on your day. This might sound a bit scary, but it's actually a good thing! Because small changes and adjustments in these daily routines can make a noticeable difference quickly.
Get to know yourself
It's not the nature of the habit, but a lack of self-awareness that's often the problem; and by determining where our rituals come from, we can do something about it.
Every person is unique, with a completely individual set of character traits, characteristics, and habits. By delving deeper into what makes you 'you', you can discover which routines are holding you back and which new habits might fit your personality and ambitions.
1. Do you prefer to invest effort and energy or money?
Simplified, there are 2 types within this area. One type takes action quickly and spends all possible energy and effort on, for example, a new project, but doesn't invest the necessary resources to achieve success. Do they work hard? Yes. But do they do it smart? Not always…
For example, this might be the ambitious home athlete who doesn't want a gym membership, or the hardworking entrepreneur who refuses to invest in a much-needed course.
On the other side of the spectrum, you'll find the type that likes to spend money on solving problems but prefers to save energy, time, and effort.
2. All or nothing vs. 'just right'
There are people who enjoy one piece of chocolate, and there are those who enjoy the whole bar. Whether you're one or the other, the best strategy is the one that's tailored to you personally.
Can't enjoy in moderation? No problem, give yourself a hand, remove those temptations, and stop working against yourself.
3. Promotion or prevention
These two extremes represent the core of our motivations in finding new habits and creating a better life. Are you business-driven and performance-oriented, or more focused on making small changes to avoid potential problems?
By figuring out what motivates you as a person to improve your life, you can more easily choose a strategy that's guaranteed to work for you.
How to easily learn new habits
Now that we've discovered the true nature of our habits and know ourselves well, it's time to get to work. To leave our old habits behind and learn new routines, we use the following 2 strategies:
1. Accountability
By holding yourself accountable (and others) when you don't keep your promises, you stay alert to your behavior and drastically increase your chances of success.
Want to start exercising every morning from now on, begin with a healthy breakfast, or simply wake up earlier? Great! Create a plan of action, share it with others, and be strict with yourself when you don't keep your promises.
By holding yourself accountable when you don't do what you wanted to do and sharing your intentions with people around you, you create the ultimate motivation and will be much less likely to give up.
2. Repetition
The key to learning a new habit: repetition, repetition, and even more repetition…
Make your new habit a routine by paying attention to it every day, and before you know it, you'll be doing it on autopilot.
Go through these golden tips and strategic steps, make them your own, and finally become the efficient, successful, and happy version of yourself that you've always wanted to be.
