What are your strategies for forming new habits?

[clara927]

Is letting go of old habit's difficult for you? What are your strategies for forming new habits? What are some of the barriers (emotionally, spiritually) to forming new habits, whatever they may be?

[jesusrose]

Barriers are all around us - the greatest barrier being that of one's self. We know that everything is possible, but for some reason we don't always believe that to be true for our self.

I try to share my goals for improvement with those who care about me - they keep me accountable. Also, I ask the universe and my guides to help me stay on my path. It is easier than we think, and when we see that we are stopping our selves, we start to really make progress

Rose
Xxx

[sparklekaz]

Dear Clara,

Changing habits can make an enormous difference to the quality of our lives. Habits are extremely powerful. They influence the way that we conduct our lives in so many ways, and the resulting happiness or dissatisfaction that we experience. Transforming habits that dis-empower us, hold us back, or drag us down is a key to living the happy and fulfilling lives that we want and deserve.

One of the most important areas that we need to focus on in changing habits is our thought patterns. Our habits of behavior stem from the thoughts that we have on a regular basis. In order to create change in behavioural habits, we need to go right to the source, and look first at changing habits of thought. Understanding why we think the way we do and what is the root cause.

If we can successfully create change in our thought patterns, we often find that the accompanying behaviours become transformed as a natural progression. Become aware that the habit is detracting from our well-being, and that changing habits would allow us to create more positive experiences.

Accept that the habit we have is something that we learned. It is not an innate part of who we are, but simply a pattern of behaviour, and therefore it can be changed.

Trying to change a habit simply by dropping it doesn’t always work in many cases. This is because it leaves a vacuum which will usually be unconsciously filled with the old habit, or an equally unhelpful alternative. Replacing a habit with a positive thought or behaviour that you would like to become a habit is a much more effective way of creating lasting and positive changes.

It is important when working on changing habits, to not beat yourself up when you notice that you are automatically slipping back into the pattern of behaviour that you wish to change. In the beginning, this is quite normal. In fact, paying too much attention to a habit simply reinforces it. Just notice that you have veered off course and firmly and gently correct your direction.

Congratulate yourself for even one instance when you successfully applied your new habit. Know that if you did it once, you can do it again and again. Pay attention to how great it feels when you do practice your new habit, and how much better and better it will feel the more you apply it.

It really is simply about changing the way you think about things, and being aware. You know yourself better then anyone else does. While it is helpful to have the support of those around you, do not let others try to force their way of doing things on to you.

It takes a high level of awareness and commitment to truly make positive changes, but the results are worth it a million times over.

I believe the most important thing is to be persistent and consistent.

Love and light
Kaz

[tinamarie]

Hello Clara ... The following answers are based on my own experiences ...

Letting go of old habits is extremely difficult for me. It is quite true that the habits which "took a lifetime to develop" will NOT just disappear overnight.

My strategy for forming new habits started with making a decision to change, and as I am writing this post, I could list numerous mini-strategies that I use, but it Always boils down to "making a decision" ... "do I do this? OR do I do that?".

I agree with Rose and Kaz, that the greatest barrier is oneself; ie. thoughts. After I quit drinking, I realized just how dark and negative my thinking was ... my sober thinking ... but is it real? I do not believe it is, and I continue to make a daily decision to change.

Changing habits is so not easy ... I had NO idea Clara!! ... but guess what? God will always give us what we need, so when I struggle, all I need to do is ask God for help ..... and THAT is a decision too.


Peace to you Clara
Tina-M.

[clara927]

Thank you for your input rose, kaz and tina.

Tina, what you said about making a choice really stuck with me because in the past I've had a problem with indecisiveness, especially with the little things (that add up into big things). Even now I feel unsure about what time to do things. Should I do what I enjoy doing now or wait till later tonight? Should I take advantage of the free time I have being unemployed by working on what I really want to do, or should I spend every spare moment filling out job applications? These things make me anxious and I often feel like I'm always bouncing between thoughts. I'm seriously thinking about finding a life coach or someone or something similar to that because when I look at what I need to do, every thing seems so cluttered and disjointed that it's difficult to know exactly what to do each moment.

I appreciate all of your advice and I'm looking for ways to apply it.

Thank you

[DeeUSA]

Clara, Kaz, Rose and Tina....all very good posts. You've all given me some things to ponder. To me it is getting to a point to where you just can't have that habit in your life anymore. Where that you know and have seen that the habit is detrimental to having the quality of life you want.

Then and only then is when you can form new or reform an old habit. Even if the mind gets involved with trying to rationalize why you should go back to the old habit...your determination will over ride and you will continue to embrace the new or reformed habit.

Blessings,
Dee