“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” We all have something in our lives that we would like to change. Most of us have tried, often many times, and "failed". I want to give you practical ways and tips to succeed in all the steps of a behavior change.
Step 1. - Figure out the problem and your values. What and why?
First you have to find out and recognize the problem. For something to become a problem, it has to cause some kind of discomfort in our lives.
For example, being overweight. As long as being overweight does not harm us (socially, mentally or physically), the subconscious mind sees no need to spend valuable time or energy to solve the problem.
There must be strong enough incentives attached to the problem. Usually it is the diagnosis of a new disease, the death of a parent from the same disease, a decline in quality of life, social stigma or fear of the future. Everyone must find the most important "why" - the most important reason why something needs to be done.
Step 2. Change in mindset.
Support the change in your mindset by learning from those who have succeeded.
Before taking a big step in changing our behavior, the subconscious mind must first believe that it is possible. Most changes get “stuck” at this step because we don’t really believe we can do it. We imagine the change in our minds; a big, scary, difficult, and almost impossible challenge. In order to change our lives for the better, we must believe that it is possible. The best way to do this is to get to know people who have succeeded in making the change – either personally or by reading their stories.
“If they could do it, so can I!” is usually enough motivation to move on to the next step.
Step 3. Increase knowledge.
Search for more information from various sources.
Before we can successfully start a major change in our lifestyle, we need to have enough theoretical information on the subject. Without knowledge, we get stuck at first, and then we lose our motivation.
Fortunately, information can be obtained in many ways, but some sources of information should be viewed with a little more skepticism. Where can you find reliable information?
For example
- discuss with people who have succeeded,
- join facebook groups.
Step 4. - Replace old habits with new ones.
An excellent book “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg shows how important it is to find new habits to replace old and unwanted ones.
Quitting an old habit right away rarely produces lasting results. We need to openly and honestly analyze the habits that are keeping us from reaching the state we are striving for.
Replacing old habits with new ones is a gradual process and setbacks are usually caused by trying too many things at once.
Preferably replace 15 minutes of TV with 15 minutes of reading or one cigarette a day with 5 minutes of walking. If you want to fast, start with a mild method such as 16:8 diet.
According to Duhigg, small changes ultimately cause big changes in other aspects of life.Small positive results motivate us to continue and develop. Patience is the key.
Step 5. "Failure and failure"
Do you feel like you always fail when you try? Failure is part of the process. You have to prepare for it. If we avoid it and focus only on success, we burn out and crash. It is especially important to accept setbacks and failures in advance. Because every change process has setbacks and outright failures. Entrepreneurs, alcoholics and parents of children know it. That is why we should not accept the word "failure", because every mistake or setback is an experience - an opportunity to analyze and learn. It is part of a change. The path to our goal is not straight. If we accept that, forgive ourselves, we will get up faster and change our lifestyle.
Step 6.- Change continues; track key indicators of change, set priorities.
In the book "High-Performance Habits" Brendon Burchard says that people who follow their process regularly are 2.5 times more likely to achieve their goals. Monitoring motivates them to stick to their goals and prioritize their energy.
I check my weight and calorie intake almost every morning because without it I would forget how important a process it is for me.
The other principle in ongoing successful lifestyle change is prioritization.
It is an absolute impossibility for modern man to fit “all the important things” into a 16-hour workday.
In his book "The One Thing" Gary Keller teaches that in every aspect of life one most important thing must be determined that demands all of our attention and time, otherwise we will have many things that are unachievable.
I'm not a big fan of "living a balanced life" because I know how many secondary things have to be left undone in order to achieve goals.
Life is full of cruel prioritization.
Step 7.- “Error”; - accept it!
"Failure" again? No, it's not a bad joke or a mistake in the text. I want to emphasize that in all processes of change, wherever something better is the goal, "failures" are inevitable. No matter how many times we fall, we have to get up. A little obsession is a good thing. Most of us know the feeling of being so excited about something that we can't think of anything else. I give myself the freedom to obsess over big goals because I know it will get me through the tough times. Grant Cardone says in his book "Be Obsessed or Be Average" that obsession is a necessity if you want big results, otherwise the results are mediocre or non-existent.
Step 8. Permanent change; what to do - develop and improve permanent systems and routines.
In the book “The Power of Habit” Duhigg talks about how habits are formed and how they work. When you learn to drive a car, you have to constantly pay attention to the speed, the steering wheel, the traffic signs, the gears and the pedals. After a month or two, these things come automatically. But how?
Our brains learn to move repetitive tasks to our subconscious, so they don’t require our constant attention and energy. The same thing happens with lifestyle changes. Eating healthy, exercising regularly, and going to bed become automatic after a few months. There will certainly be setbacks, nothing is 100% permanent, but at this stage, following the habit is already much easier.
Success happens every day when you decide to change.
