Lessons in Success: #9 Starting New Habits
Wed, 04/11/2012 - 8:54pm | by monicadear
It's a big step to create new behavior, and the way we achieve
Lessons in Success: #9 Starting New Habits
Wed, 04/11/2012 - 8:54pm | by monicadear
It's a big step to create new behavior, and the way we achieve is by breaking our efforts down into microsteps. Positive habits can be broken down into micro-steps.
Positive habits mean something that makes a proactive, effective change in your behavior in the field you're wanting to change. Assess the different areas of your life and figure out what new habits you want to take on: then break it down. It's tough to institute a new habit of running five miles. It's easier to break it down into baby steps: take a walk down to the end of the driveway every day for a week. Then to the end of the street every day for a week. Then go for a half-mile, a mile, two miles, five miles --- each of these incrementally increasing so that you get into a routine.
Once your routine is set, your habit is established: and this reflects on all aspects of your life, from your food, health, relationships, work, money, career, and physical environment. A new habit is easy, easy, easy to start. It's maintaining the habit which takes practice.
First: institute baby steps for your habit.
Second: continue to support your habit (what supplies do you need? which behaviors will support your habit? which activities will need to be added?).
Third: make a routine out of your actions.
Followthrough: do whatever it takes to make that habit a real habit. Start it out right and continue it!
Fourth: give yourself positive feedback. Give yourself a reward for every time you do something towards your new habit. It takes about six weeks to start up a new habit, and then you'll want to maintain that habit on an ongoing basis.
What habits do you want to start up this month?