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Do you have broad, daunting goals for changing your life – like banishing clutter, getting organized or losing weight? As with any big project, a good way to get started is by identifying manageable first steps.
Building small habits, one by one, can help you to bring about vast change over time. For example, if your closets are out of control you can start the path toward greater order by gradually giving away seldom worn items. If you make it a habit to put two garments in the give-away box every time you buy a new one, eventually you will have room to work as you reorganize your wardrobe.
A “habit” is an acquired pattern that you follow so regularly that it becomes an unconscious practice. Habits are learned ways of acting, and they can be unlearned. Often the best way to get rid of a bad habit is to replace it with a better one. Here are some tips that may help you to learn a new habit, or get rid of an old one:
- Take one step at a time. If the pattern of behavior you want to change is complex, break it down into small pieces and address them one-by-one, over time. For example, if you’re tired of being late to work, carefully observe your morning routine, and spot the little habits that undercut your efforts to get out the door on time.
- Be precise. Be very clear in defining the habit you want to establish. If a frequent cause of your morning rush is that you can’t find your keys, decide exactly where you want to habitually store them.
- Pull the trigger. When you’re building a new habit, a “trigger” can stimulate the action that you want to learn. It might take the form of a Post-It note, or a different arrangement of your belongings, or anything else that reminds you of what to do. Sometimes you can use an existing habit, like brushing your teeth in the morning, to trigger a new habit, like taking a daily pill. In this example, you could store your pills in front of your toothpaste and post a note by your brush.
- Repeat repeat repeat. The key to establishing a habit is repetition. Experts say that it takes 21 days to confirm a new habit, but you may find that some habits become engrained more easily than others.
- Use “mind sculpture.” If you take an action over and over again it will become a habit. You can speed up the process, however, by occasionally taking a few seconds to imagine that you are acting. Mind sculpture is an effective technique in which – without moving a muscle -- you visualize in great detail that you are performing an activity. When imagining that you are hanging up your keys, you “feel” their weight in your hand and you “hear” the sound when they land on the hook.
- Give rewards. Positive reinforcement is a powerful training tool, and allowing yourself small rewards for performing well may help you to establish your new habits. Research suggests that little, frequent rewards work best. Even visualizing the benefits of your new habit can make you feel good about it.
- Chart it. Keeping a log can help you to build positive habits, particularly if you are working on multiple steps, like drinking more water, taking your vitamins, and walking every day. Use a chart, diary or calendar to note your progress. Not only will you have a reminder of the habits you’re building, but marking down each day’s progress is good reinforcement.
I’ll talk more about how small steps can create big changes in the April 5 issue of Bev’s Tips, which focuses on Kaisen, the technique that has helped Japanese corporations to achieve and maintain excellence. |
Reading suggestions
Described below is a book that may inspire you to build healthier and more effective habits. To directly order the book from Amazon.com, click on the title below. For reviews of other recommended books, each with a specific link to Amazon, go to:
ClearWays Books and Services.
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The Power of Positive Habits, by Dan Robey, Abritt Publishing Group, 2003.
Dan Robey suggests that you can put your move to a healthier life on “autopilot” by establishing a series of positive habits, ranging from taking supplements to listening to your spouse.
The book doesn’t go into much detail about how the habit-building process works, but instead gives hints for creating 81 specific habits that collectively could help you to “reach all the goals in your life automatically.”
Robey describes not only primary habits, that can serve as the basis of healthy living, but also “foundational habits,” like visualization, that can support your other habits. He even touches upon “thinking habits” – habitual thought patterns that can shape the way you approach much of life. |
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