In order to understand what a habit for success is, you are going to have to set some goals first. But for demonstration purposes, in order to define habits for success, we will be using some example goals. In fact, we will be using three different examples because it can be difficult to understand how to identify the successful habit underneath the goal if the example is too unlike whatever you are trying to achieve.
Example One: The Weight Loss Goal
Our first goal is going to be weight loss. This may or may not be one of your specific goals, but getting healthy, losing weight and reducing the risk for heart attack, stroke, diabetes and other health problems is definitely one of the most common ones out there.
If you have a habit of eating unhealthy foods and avoiding the gym, you are not alone. When age 50 starts to creep up on people, their health becomes a primary concern.
So, suppose that the goal that you have set for yourself is to lose 30 pounds and eat healthier. You don’t want to set goals or develop habits that are limiting you. You want to create supporting habits instead. The reason for this is simple: when you try to change ineffective habits, you are taking something away from yourself – something you very likely enjoy.
Instead, form effective habits that will automatically replace the ineffective habits. That way, you are giving yourself something good and not taking anything away – at least in your mind. The difference is subtle but it really will make a difference.
So, when it comes to identifying habits for success for this example, let’s start with what you don’t want to do.
Ineffective Habits to Change:
• Stop eating so much junk food
• Stop watching so much evening TV
• Quit going to all-you-can-eat buffets
• Lay off soda
See how all of those are taking something away from your life? You are removing things that you enjoy and that’s just depressing. It will be very difficult to motivate yourself to change your habits because you feel as if you are giving up lots of stuff that you enjoy. But let’s change those habits slightly and transform them into supporting habits.
Effective Habits to Adopt
• Start eating a piece of fruit every day
• Spend 30 minutes in the evening taking a casual stroll
• Start eating at nicer restaurants with a healthier menu
• Start drinking more water (flavored if desired)
Can you see how much of a difference this makes? When you are choosing new habits or trying to break old ones, you want to make sure that you are giving yourself something instead of taking it away. Even though you know somewhere inside that it is basically the same action, you can fool your brain into being more motivated this way. We will go into more details on how to achieve this in upcoming blog posts.
Till then, start implementing the above tips and let me know how they help you. Post in the comments below, or send me a message.
~
Click HERE to Request a Complimentary Positive Habits Coaching Session
and explore how I can help you achieve your most daring goals!