How to Make Good Habits Inevitable and Bad Habits Impossible-
Success is less about making the good habits easy and more about making the bad habits hard. Make your choices in the present that controls your actions in the future. Eg. Getting into shape- book a class, sign up to a gym membership, pay ahead. By doing the right thing in the future by making bad habits difficult in the present.
• Best way into breaking a bad habit is to make it impractical to do.
How to Turn Instant Gratification To Your Advantage-
Getting a habit to stick is to feel successful- even if it’s in a small way. Immediate rewards are essential. They keep you excited while the delayed rewards accumulate in the background.
How to Keep your Habits on Track-
Track it, record it. It keeps you honest. It can be very rewarding when you track your habits. You are seeing the progress. It also gives you that intrinsic gratification.
• Shape your habits around your interest. Pick an exercise that you enjoy doing. Picking the right habit and the progress is easy.
• Pick the right habit and progress is easy. Pick the wrong habit and life is a struggle
• Habits are easier when they align with your natural abilities. Choose the habit that best suits you.
How to Not Get Bored with Your Habit-
It comes down to making it a passion and you really have to want it. Successful people lack the same motivation as everyone else. The difference is still finding a way to show up despite the feelings of boredom.
Reflection and review is a process that allows you to remain conscious of your performance over time.
Q’s to ask yourself:
- What went well this year?
- What didn’t go well this year?
- What did I learn?
Annual Integrity Report:
- What are the core values that drive my life and work?
- How am I living and working with integrity right now?
- How can I set a higher standard in the future?
Conclusion:
Habits change is not a single 1% improvements, but a thousand of them. Success is not a goal to reach or a finish line to cross. It is a system to improve. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. This is a continuous process. There is no finish line. There is no permanent solution. Follow the four laws of behavior change.
Make it obvious.
Make it attractive.
Make it easy.
Make it satisfying.
Getting results that last is to never stop making improvements.
It’s remarkable what you can build if you just don’t stop.
It’s remarkable the business you can build if you don’t stop working.
It’s remarkable the body you can build if you don’t stop training.
It’s remarkable the knowledge you can build if don’t stop learning.
It’s remarkable the fortune you can build if you don’t stop saving.
It’s remarkable the friendships you can build if you don’t stop caring.
Small habits don’t add up.
They compound.
Tiny changes.
Remarkable results.
Coach Steph.
References: “Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results – Atomic Habits”, Author James Clear, Pg. 169,178,179,190,196-200,233-237,253, Penguin Random House New York, 2018