Considering these three important questions when trying to create good habits.

Author:
November 11, 2020
What is your purpose for creating this good habit?

This may seem like the kind of question that does not have to be answered or asked in the first place, after all, it’s a good habit that you are creating. However, being able to clearly identify your reason for creating a good habits will help you stay on track by defining and reinforcing its potential benefits.

If your aim is to lose weight then you should be clear about why you want to lose weight. Do you want to lose weight because you like to see yourself wearing bikinis at the beach this summer? Or, do you want to lose weight because you want to be healthier for the sake of your children and that you want to live a longer and happier life with your family?

When you have your purpose deeply ingrained into your mind then good habits become easier to stick to, even after the initial momentum fades.

When do you want to start implementing your new habit?

For example, if you want to lose weight as your goal then eating healthy foods will be one of the habits that you want to form. In most cases people will immediately say “I want to lose 10 pounds in just one week”. However, the week of implementation is often always “next week”, with no commitment to when they will start sticking to healthy eating habits. 

It is easy to say I will start eating healthy breakfast tomorrow. Unfortunately, when “tomorrow” comes it is just as easy to be still eating the same processed food for breakfast. How many self-sabotage themselves by saying “I have to indulge now because tomorrow I will start sticking to my healthy eating habits”. Once you decide to start implementing your good habits, make sure not to postpone its implementation. Otherwise, you will not only be delaying the realization of your goal.

Worse, postponing will lead to the formation and strengthening of a very negative habit which is procrastination. It is very easy make excuses about “now is not the right time”, but there is great power in “now”.

Where do you want to start forming good habits?

Many people are determined to form new habits and kick their old bad habits. However, when implementation day comes, they may fail to always carry out their good intentions. One reason for this is can be that when they are in a different location or in a different setting their intended behaviors are forgotten, or excused.

Plan ahead. Where possible avoid temptation so you don’t have to rely on willpower. Where tempting triggers are unavoidable, plan strategies to deal with them that don’t involve leaving your good intentions at the wayside.
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