How to Get Rid of Old Habits
Do you have any unhealthy or expired habits? Maybe you have what you call “bad habits” or “toxic traits”? Well if so, then today’s post is here for you, and it’s all about getting rid of them.
Rap artist Lecrae was once quoted having said that “old habits die hard, and if you're not careful, the person you used to be can overtake the person you're trying to become.”
Sometimes we get a bit too hard on ourselves when it comes to managing our habits. We get frustrated after picking up that third drink, going to see a certain person, or opening a certain Twitter list we swore we’d never open again. People struggle with change because we are hardwired to prefer familiarity no matter how “good” or “bad” it may be.
So how do we overcome? Humans are habitual beings, so if you want to get rid of an old one, you’ll have to replace it with a new one. And for as simple as that may seem to some of you, rest assured it is always easier said than done. Today, we are going to look at three things you can do to successfully get rid of old habits.
Identify an Old Unhealthy Habit
The first step towards shedding an old habit is identifying what it is, and how it is adversely impacting a specific area of your life. For example, if you are unhappy about feeling like you never have enough time to accomplish your goals outside of work, maybe look at how you are spending your time throughout each day. If you do not have a calendar or a weekly agenda, then you might want to start by breaking the habit of disorder and irresponsibility with your time, and begin to schedule out your days.
Identify What Motivates You to Take Action
The second step to getting rid of an old habit is to identify your motivators. What gets you excited about taking action in your life? For some people, the satisfaction of taking action is found in the journey, and for others it’s in the end result. Regardless of what your motivators may be, once you identify and understand what they are you can begin to build motivation towards your new healthy habit, and stop feeding motivation towards your old and unhealthy habit.
Build Motivation Towards A New and Healthy Habit
Once you have identified your old unhealthy habit, as well as what motivates you to take action, it’s time to really build that motivation up and get to work on replacing that old unhealthy habit with a new and healthy one. If the idea of reaching a new milestone in your career or your dreams is what gets you going, start putting specific tasks on the calendar, and write down which exciting milestone each action item is related to. If you need someone to go on the journey with you, tap into your community and find yourself an accountability partner or group that will help you in being responsible towards reaching your goals.
You don’t have to be bound by your old ways. The future you shouldn’t have to suffer under the weight of the old you. Take back your power and build a better tomorrow. You’ve got this.
Why sink when you can SWIM?
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