More on Changing Bad Habits

I'm not sure why changing habits is so hard for us human beings but it is.  I can't be the only one since if you Google "Changing Bad Habits to Good Ones" you will come up with a ton of advice.  When I do research I like to see what all of the advice posts have in common.  Here are some of the major ones that I can vouch for that work:

1.  Research your bad habits - when do you practice them, what do you do right before you practice them, what need are you trying to meet?  Most advice calls this researching your "triggers."  Triggers are what "triggers" the behavior.  For example, my overeating takes place in the evening when I'm not active.  It may be that I'm bored. 

2.  Choose something to replace the trigger and the habit.  Just stopping doing something doesn't work.  There has to be something positive to replace it that satisfies the need.  For example, I can replace my evening overeating with activity - maybe yoga, going for a walk, going out with friends.  Eventually, I may be able to stay home and watch t.v. without overeating, but practicing the replacements willl make it easier when the time comes

3.  Be consistent with using the replacement.  Much of the advice recommends a 30 day trial.  If you miss a day, start the 30 days over.

4.  Put some leverage into the new habit.  Try having people sponsor you - for every day you exercise, for every pound you lose, etc.  Give the money to your favorite charity.  Or vice versa:  Give a trusted friend a sum of money - enough that losing it would hurt.  You only get it back when you've completed the 30 days (consistently).

How to Change Your Bad Habits

Sometimes it seems to me that I have devoted my life to changing my habits.  I can't remember a time when I wasn't working on something, and as I've aged, I find the effort to live more delightfully and consciously immensely entertaining and rewarding.  In the beginning I tried to change out of ego and shame.  I thought I wasn't good enough and wanted to change so as to be able to approve of myself and get approval from other people.  Those motives never really helped me change.  As I've read and practiced and learned, I've found that creating a life of awareness and peace is much more motivating.  So here's a list of some of the ways that have helped me make positive changes in myself:

• Set goals with deadlines but only set goals that are so easy and simple you can't help but reach them.  Baby steps really work.
• Write goals down and look at them every day.
• Never, never, never, ever give up.
• Tell all the supportive people in your life what you're doing and report back to them.
• Find someone or more than one someone who has already made the change you're working on.  Ask them how they did it and do what they did.
• Prepare ahead of time.  If, for example, you want to eat more nutritiously, find receipes and buy the food.
• Expect to be uncomfortable.  Change is uncomfortable.  Make a plan for how you're going to deal with the discomfort.  Examples:  Get plenty of rest - change takes a lot of energy.  Read stuff that inspires you. 
• Expect to be imperfect.  Don't be a slacker but don't quit if you mess up.
• One of the reasons change is difficult is that our egos interpret it as criticism.  Remind yourself of why you're making the change.  Examples, to have more energy, to enjoy life more, to learn new things, to increase peace of mind.

These are just a few of the strategies that I've used that worked.  Do some research of your own.