Written by: Terrie Nathan, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Habits…They can be hard to break and even harder to start. Whether positive or negative, habits can make a big difference in your life.
You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret to your success is found in your daily routine. ‒ John C. Maxwell
Habits…They can be hard to break and even harder to start. Whether positive or negative, habits can make a big difference in your life.
Good habits create a positive mindset. When you focus on behaviors that you can control, you can develop plans and take action. The hope of being able to solve a problem is often enough to change your mood which in turn changes the outcome. Developing and keeping good habits is about the process over the result.
You're not simply a direct result of the actions you take in life. You're also a direct result of the habits that you build. And while bad habits can be hard to break, good ones are just as difficult to cultivate.
When we talk about building habits, we don't mean that you have to do them perfectly or all at once. We just mean that you should practice doing them consistently over time so that they become part of who you are and how you operate in the world. It's about making a commitment and sticking with it — even when times get tough.
The things we do, and the habits we build every day shape our bodies, our minds, and our spirit.
If you want to build good habits, here are some tips and tricks that can help.
Create a plan! The old saying, "Rome wasn't built in a day," couldn't be more accurate, especially when it comes to habit-forming. You didn't develop all of your bad habits at once, and you certainly can't change them that quickly either. Instead of adopting the "all or nothing" mentality, opt to develop a plan focusing on small success moments. Baby steps are still steps and eventually lead you to the big wins or in this case, the habits that help to build you up. It’s important to understand where you want to start, is it with my sleep, my diet, my workouts, my finances, what habits do you need to build up? When creating a plan you must first know where you want to start.
Make it easy! So now you have a plan…start with an easy positive habit. The most important part of building a new habit is staying consistent. It doesn’t matter how well you perform on any individual day. Sustained effort is what makes the real difference. Make small changes every day, instead of trying to change everything all at once (which is often overwhelming), try making one small change at a time until it becomes second nature for you. Let’s say you want to start walking and getting some fresh air every day, start with one block at a time. So today you walked a block and bump it up to two blocks in a few days and so on. Perhaps you even set your walking shoes out by the door to remind you in the morning of your new habit. Baby steps once again, over time help to build positive change.
Visualize your success. In your mind's eye, see yourself performing the desired behavior. The more often you visualize yourself acting as if you already had the new habit, the more rapidly this new behavior will be accepted by your subconscious mind and become automatic. Your mind is a very powerful tool when nurturing habits that build you.
Be ok with failure. You have to learn to not judge yourself or feel guilty when you make a mistake, and instead focus on developing a plan to get back on track as quickly as possible. It’s not whether you win or lose, but rather did I learn. Permission to be human, as we all will make mistakes and have setbacks when trying to nurture habits that build us up.
Find you super-supporters. Surround yourself with people who are going to lift you higher. Find that person you know and ask them to help you stay accountable. This helps to make sure you are on track and in a positive way. Celebrate your wins and talk through where you can make adjustments if you fall.
Think about what habits you are building in your life from a positive perspective. How are they serving you?
"The things you do every day, even the little ones, are building up and creating your future." ‒ Hal Elrod
Terrie Nathan, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Terrie Nathan is an International Best-selling Author, Coach, Speaker, and CEO/Founder of Strong Girl Enterprises. She coaches clients to improve their lives, relationships, and ability to perform in business by setting & achieving goals and building positive routines. She also coaches youth to build their confidence by teaching them strategies on positive self-talk, self-worth, and body image.
Her practice is grounded in Positive Psychology, a research-based branch of psychology that studies what really causes people to thrive and flourish in their lives and work and how we can apply those findings in practical and positive ways.
Terrie has now made it her life's mission to coach these transformational strategies of empowerment by partnering with clients and organizations worldwide.
