When you begin any new self-improvement program, you’re enthusiasm is
high and you’re motivated by the pleasure of what you want or the pain
of what you don’t want. But motivation naturally diminishes with time.
When your motivation wanes, you rely more on willpower. But no one
has an endless supply of willpower. It’s a resource that gets “used up”.
Every time you will yourself do something you don’t really want to do,
you use up some willpower. Every temptation you pass up depletes your
willpower reserve.
By evening, you may find you have no willpower left. That’s why most
people blow their diet in the evening after eating healthy all day.
If motivation and willpower aren’t working for you, there is another way!
95% of our life is dictated by the subconscious mind, the part of our
brain that runs our lives on autopilot. This is why you can do
everything from brushing your teeth to driving a car without thinking
about it.
By consciously deciding to create a new habit, you can
harness the power of your unconscious to create a new neural pathway.
Once a new habit is established it becomes easy to do –motivation and
willpower are no longer required!
Here are 7 steps to turn any desired new activity into a habit. Once a
habit is established you’ll find yourself doing effortlessly. These
techniques can be used for any habit you want to make or change – diet,
exercise, meditation, stress reduction, sleep habits, and more.
Set Small Goals
Setting big goals is exciting but starting with small boring goals is
more likely to lead to success. Some examples of small changes would be
to meditate for 10 minutes, replace one unhealthy snack with raw
veggies, or walk 15 minutes per day.
Taking small actions tricks your brain. Your subconscious likes to be
in control – it doesn’t like change. A big change often sets up
subconscious resistance, but you can sneak a small change by it.
Use Triggers
A trigger is something that leads you to automatically doing
something else. Smokers, for example, are triggered to smoke after a
meal. Use triggers to your advantage. If you commit to always meditating
after breakfast, after a few weeks you’ll automatically think about
meditating after your morning meal. Visual triggers work well, too. Lay
your workout clothes on the bed in the morning will encourage you to
work out when you get home from work.
Do it Early
Exercise or meditate in the morning when your willpower is high.
You’ll reap the rewards all day! Make a healthy dinner ahead (I love my
crockpot!) so you don’t come home starved with nothing to eat.
Be Prepared
Make sure you have everything you need to ensure your success. If you
want to start a walking program, get comfortable walking shoes and a
pedometer. People who wear a pedometer walk 27% more than those who
don’t!
Make it Convenient
The more difficult and time consuming it is to take an action, the
less likely you will do it. This is why so many people who buy gym
memberships drop out. It’s just not that convenient. Get everything you
need ready ahead of time so that when it’s time you can, as Nike says,
“Just Do It”.
Make it Fun
If you don’t enjoy doing something you aren’t going to stick with it.
Find ways to make your lifestyle change as enjoyable as possible.
Exercise with a friend, learn to cook healthy foods that are delicious,
or find a meditation program that really resonates with you.
Don’t Break the Chain
When Jerry Seinfeld was an unknown, he created the habit of writing
new material daily using a wall calendar and a red marker. Every day he
wrote, he put a big red “X” through that day. He didn’t want to see any
blank days that “broke the chain”. Use this technique for one month and
you’ll find your new habit will largely be formed.
By using these steps to create a habit you are tricking your brain to
create a new neural pathway. Once the habit is formed you can use it to
serve as a gateway to bigger changes that can truly change your life. A
journey of a thousand miles really does begin with a single step.
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