How Bad Habits Can Become Good Habits.
Your habits will make or break you. You may be familiar with the idea that you cannot get rid of bad habits – you need to replace them with good habits instead.
The reasoning behind this is that your mind thinks that you are taking something important away when you stop a bad habit.
But when you simply start a good habit that pushes the bad habit out of the way, you feel like you are giving yourself something extra.
Baby steps and repetition… Simply crowd that old bad habit out of there…
This “habit change” process can work for almost any bad habit you want to replace. Just gradually take small actions that reinforce the new good habit until the bad habit is eradicated for good.
So, what is the actual process in which bad habits can become good ones?
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This is important to understand, because eventually it can help you get rid of all of your bad habits potentially. BTW, here are some success habits to cultivate to get more done.
Meanwhile, let’s go through the process step-by-step, using an example of a bad and good habit.
Example Bad Habit: Skipping Breakfast
Example Good Habit: Having a Healthy Breakfast
So, you want to replace the habit of skipping breakfast with having a good, healthy, nutrient-dense breakfast instead. There are numerous reasons to do this, and studies have proven that people who eat breakfast are healthier, get more accomplished and are happier.
1. Sit down and create a list of healthy foods that you like to keep on hand. (Don’t get caught up on what is a “breakfast” food or not.) You can have virtually any foods you like for a breakfast choice. Then go out and buy them and keep them stocked and easily accessible in your kitchen.
2. Stop eating food before bedtime each day. Let your stomach empty overnight. That way when morning comes you are hungry enough to eat something.
3. Sell yourself on the idea of eating early. Write down all the benefits that come with eating breakfast and then post them somewhere that you will be able to see them when you get up every morning.
4. Make a habit out of going to the kitchen and grabbing the food that you have planned. You don’t have eat much at first. Just be aware that you have stocked some good foods in your kitchen and have a bite of something.
5. Just eat a little something every day for breakfast to start and gradually increase daily until your body actually starts looking forward to having that meal every day.
6. Don’t skip any days once you start this eating pattern. You do not want to revert back to the old habit of not eating breakfast.
7. You can create a breakfast trigger. For example, as soon as you make your first cup of coffee, also make something for breakfast. Create that habit to support yourself.
8. Increase the amount of food until you are having a full, healthy breakfast.
9. Write down the benefits you notice from eating breakfast and continually condition yourself that you are getting healthier every day because of it…
Voila! Through the miracle of repetition a new habit is installed and soon you will be getting all of the extra nutrients, and boost in energy that a great breakfast brings to your life.
Go for it. Make it work.
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