Skills That Will Help You Form Beneficial Habits
If I ask you to list all your habits, how many do you think you would have? I’d be willing to bet that your total would be way off because you would miss quite a few. That is because true habits become something that is performed in your subconscious.
It is only when you are trying to form or break a habit that you become aware of your actions. Habits can be seen as both good and bad traits based on how they are affecting your life.
Good habits can help you accomplish your goals or help you lead a healthy lifestyle. Whereas its important to recognize how bad habits negatively affect your life and actively work to break them.
When it comes to creating new habits, there are certain factors that when utilized can help you acquire & keep those habits for the long term. But first, what are some of the good habits that you already have?
These good habits are already part of your daily routines
- Taking a shower
- Brushing your teeth
- Knowing exactly how to get to and from work
- Washing the dishes
- Making your bed…and the list goes on
You don’t even have to think about these things as your mind has become accustomed to your routine. Can you imagine the effort needed to actively remember how to do each step of those chores? You would end up completely exhausted at the end of every day.
Problems arise when you are trying to form a new habit. You may want to lose 10 pounds, or you wish that your kitchen counters would be less cluttered. Both of these take time and effort to change. To keep those counters clear you would need to form a habit of finding homes for those items. This might include filing your bills, getting the kids to not leave their homework there. Or having everyone put their dishes into the dishwasher each night.
These are all small things, but you need to set up a routine so you can keep your kitchen clean and tidy. Research indicates that it takes anywhere from 3 weeks to 2 months to form a good habit. This means for one month you need to make a huge effort into performing these tasks. After this time the effort will seem like less, just because your mind is becoming accustomed to your new actions.
If you are trying to form a good habit it can be extremely helpful to have reminders around your home. For example if you want to lose 10 pounds to fit into your bathing suit. Leave your suit out where it acts as a reminder. Another idea is to write notes and leave them around your home. Maybe on the fridge door, so when you feel like snacking, you are reminded of why you are trying to lose weight.
If exercising is your new habit, remind yourself during the day that when you get home you are going to enjoy a walk. View the task as something enjoyable, not something that has to be done. This way you will look forward to getting home and walking after dinner. Remember that the more you repeat this process the quicker the habit will form.
What it takes to Form Good Habits That will Stick
As you know it takes willpower, discipline and good habits to really get the most out of life. All three of these things work together and while this may sound simple, it is not always that easy.
The importance of willpower for starting a new habit
When you have willpower you will find it easier to commit to performing a certain task. You may have set yourself goals that you want to meet. Willpower does not come naturally and it takes time, effort, and self-control to use effectively.
The thing with willpower is that you do not always see your results immediately. This can be a little daunting to some people, you are putting in the hard work without seeing any results. This can easily make you feel like giving up.
“Depending on what they are, our habits will either make us or break us. We become what we do repeatedly.”
Sean Covey
The need for self-discipline when learning new habits
Along with willpower is self-discipline, which must be sustained in order to reach your goals. A great example of this is weight loss and exercise. You have to eat healthy and exercise regularly to achieve results.
The best way to form a good habit is by repeating the task or activity over and over again. The more you do something the easier it becomes. You stop viewing it as a chore and accept it as part of your normal routine.
This same principle applies to breaking bad habits. It takes lots of repetition to stop smoking for example, or to cut out sugar. You need your willpower and your discipline to reach your goals.
When you repeat something you are creating a new routine. When your new routine becomes second nature, then you have formed a good habit. This doesn’t always have to take that long either. If you are determined to form a new habit you can do so in as little as 21 days.
How motivation affects habit acquisition
Another ingredient to help you form and keep your good habits is that of motivation. You require motivation to develop willpower and to stay disciplined. There are many modes of motivation. You may be told by your doctor that unless you quit smoking you will develop lung cancer. Or if you don’t change your diet you will most likely suffer a heart attack. This type of motivation can be viewed almost as a threat.
The other type of motivation is when you have the desire to change, it comes from deep within you. Once you have this type of motivation your willpower and discipline levels will increase. As you start your journey you will find that nothing can stop you, you are totally focused on your end goal. That is forming a new, lifelong habit.
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