Have you ever felt as though changing a habit means taking one step forward and two steps back? It’s easy to think that unless you follow the perfect formula or get off to the best start, quitting a habit, or at least changing it to be more suited to your goals, is harder than it should be.
The truth is that habits can take a while to form, which is why they don’t take a day to remove. Moreover, sometimes it’s easier to get lost in the planning, consideration, energy management, daily duties and obligations than it is to actually change the habit. Anyone who has ever been meaning to deep clean their home but keep putting it off knows this feeling exactly.
So, without fluster and bluster, is it possible to address changing habits without getting lost in all the talk? Well, if you’d permit us to talk for a little longer, we think taking a realistic view could be worthwhile. Here’s how:
Limitation, Not Cold Turkey
Sometimes it’s good to limit your habit and slowly start changing it for the better. It’s why some smokers alternate to cheap bulk buy nic salts online, because it means they can switch to vaping, removing some of the harmful chemicals from their usual habit, but not going through the hard immediate task of quitting outright. Then they can reduce their consumption. The same could be said for how you address other habits. Perhaps you don’t like how much you fall into negative self-talk when you get something wrong. Maybe next time around you can be kinder and write down a lesson to learn from instead. This helps you gently turn the ocean liner of habitual motion into another direction, even if it’s just one degree off course.
Don’t Wait For Conditions To Be Perfect
Anyone who prefers do things “correctly” can often find a million excuses as to why current conditions aren’t perfect for change. You may be waiting for your schedule to clear up, for stress to disappear, or for the stars to perfectly align themselves in your image, but this way you’ll be waiting forever. Most people who successfully change their habits start on random Tuesdays, not magical Mondays or New Year’s Days or Birthdays or on the day that starts with their lucky number. It’s okay to accept that. You can still start small, even if it’s just five minutes of something new. Remember, it’s always ever going to be “now.” So why not start now?
Replace An Old Habit With A New Habit
We’re all creatures of habit. That’s a good thing in a way. You don’t have to take a brand new route to work each morning just because you don’t want to be boring. If you did, you’d probably run out of routes by month two. For this reason, you shouldn’t leave a cold space where your habit is, but replace it with something new. It could be as simple as veering away from Netflix at night and reading more instead. If you have something positive to walk towards, you don’t have to continually worry about the negative holding you back. There’s something huge to be said for that!
With this advice, you’ll be certain to address some of the habits you wish to change, and all for the better.
