As human beings, we are creatures of habit. It is well documented that we live a habitual life. We think the same way and do things in the same way and in the same order day in and day out. We brush our teeth in the same way, we drink the same drink, we eat the same food, we take the same route to work, we sit in the same chair and we watch the same TV programmes.
Now what about the other habits, those that tell people who we are and what we are like, habits such as: biting our nails when we’re nervous, having two or more cups of coffee to calm us down prior to an important board meeting, or feeling withdrawn at social events, hiding in a corner, or feeling reserved and quiet in departmental meetings.
Yes, we are creatures of habit, and we’ll stay that way, honouring our habits, the good and the bad or the unwanted, until we decide we had enough and we want to have more of the good and supportive habits. The question is: can you change your bad or unwanted habits? Sure you can. You can change any habit that you want. Is it easy? Not necessarily, although that depends on the habit in question.
So how do you go about changing an unwanted, unsupportive habit? If there’s a habit that’s not allowing you to make an improvement in your life right now, what would that habit be? What habit do you wish you didn’t have or one that you want to be rid of? Choose one.
Actually getting started on the new habit and sticking with it for numerous weeks, or for life, is probably the hard part, and the first step is the hardest. You might feel it’s too scary, too much of a big step to, say, give up smoking for the rest of your life, especially if you’ve been smoking most of your life. Or you might think moving from being totally inactive to exercising every day for the rest of your life is so overwhelming it’s frightening.
It’s off-putting, so much so that you won’t even get started, yet alone sticking with it. And the more you think about the lifelong change, the scarier it gets and the more likely you will not stick to it.
There’s a great solution to hand. It’s a great way to start and develop a new habit. You can use this method on any new habit that you want. Rather than thinking of the habit change as something permanent, why not think it as something temporary, just for the short term? This sounds less daunting, doesn’t it? What if you say you’ll quit smoking for just 30 days, or you’ll going for a brisk walk every day for only 30 days, or you’ll read a self-improvement book for 30 days?
Decide to do your chosen new habit for no more than 30 days and at the end of that timeframe see how you feel. This way, the task will not seem so scary. Sure it will require some discipline on your part, but it won’t seem as demoralising as changing a habit for life. After all it’s only for 30 days. You can handle 30 days.
The great thing about this method is after 30 days you won’t feel like going back to your old habit. You will see and enjoy the benefits the new habit has brought into your life that you won’t want to go back to your old ways. Once you have successfully gone through 30 days, do you think you can do it again for another 30 days? Sure you can. Chances are at the end of the 30 day period you will be so excited you would want to continue into another 30 days, then the next 30 and the next until the old habit has been replaced with a new habit.
Have a go at this 30 day method of being rid of your unwanted daily habits. Commit yourself to 30 days straight. Should you miss a day, no big deal. You’re human after all. Just smile, acknowledge that you were successful for so many days, reward yourself in some way, and start at day 1 again with the intention of going through the process for 30 days.
The next 30 days could be the beginning of a life that’s full of self-enhancing, supportive habits, growth and enjoyment. Start today. Come up with a habit you want to lose and commit to it for the next 30 days, and see and feel the wondrous effects it will have on you.
Change your life one habit at a time. Enjoy the rewards. Enjoy your life.
Hani Al-Qasem
Commissons Editor
Tags: change habits, creatures of habit, habits, unwanted habit
