We are what we repeatedly do; unfortunately, many of us are not so proud of what we are due to habits we know we should break but are unable to break or don’t have the willpower to change them. An old saying goes, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” and that’s the excuse most of us have used to give in to the fate of our bad habits. This can be simple things like spending your valuable time on social media when you should be having conversations with your loved ones or reading a book, or having a social meal with colleagues at work even when you are not hungry, adding to the calories you wish to be losing, or spending endless hours watching movies while wishing you had more time to do something meaningful, or my lifelong struggle of sleeping in over the weekends while struggling to get time to do things you wish you had time to do.
Scientists say that our brains are neuroplastic and despite aging, our brains are able to unlearn, relearn and adapt accordingly if properly reconditioned. In order to reform bad habits, therefore, the best way would be to replace them with habits that we desire. For instance, instead of switching on your social media apps when you get home, replace that with a 1hr one on one with your loved ones or 1hr of reading a book. Instead of social eating, you can carry healthy fruit and take it with your colleagues during the social hour or replace the meal with a healthy drink or water, whichever works for you. Instead of sleeping in over the weekend, schedule early morning plans, make a plan before the weekend arrives, and do something for yourself. Habits are all triggered by a cue, and this can be certain people, I know some friends can trigger you into bungee spending, or bungee drinking, another cue can be the time of day or even the environment. That’s why Kaizen which is focused on reducing waste, insists on keeping your environment tidy from distractions since it is known that when you have a cluttered environment, even your mental organization will be equally cluttered.
It is also known that habits are easier formed when the action is rewarded with a good feeling. To change your habits, therefore, apart from replacing old habits with desired ones, you’ll need to add a reward to it – this can be by being self-aware on the negative consequences of the bad habit on you or on your time, your career, your relationships, and focusing on the reward of making that change. Will it make your family happier; your career be more desirable? Will it make you achieve your ideal weight? That will be your new reward.
Starting small is the right way to go. A change done drastically can be difficult to sustain, however, when this is done slowly in incremental changes, new and desired habits can be easily formed and sustained. When the change is small, it’s not difficult to implement and thus easily achievable. If you’d like to lose some weight, start by replacing one meal at a time, start moving 10 minutes more a day than you usually do, and start increasing your water intake by 1 extra glass of water a day. To reduce screen time, try switching off the internet from your phone for an hour a day when you can spend the time doing something meaningful, make plans to start your day a little earlier by making solid plans that will force you to get out of bed earlier over weekends. You can slowly add to the routine as you perfect each habit. With a lifelong of bad habits, acquiring desired habits can take time. Start small, and once you’ve perfected one habit, add a new one to the routine.
The secret to creating a new habit is consistency. Consistency is key. Many new year’s resolutions do not last. This is because either the goal was too big and not dissected into smaller achievable chunks, or we start off very enthusiastic but when we reach an obstacle, we quit. Being consistent until you break off the bad habit helps instill the new habits more effectively. Feel like taking a break from the new practice? Take one or two days maximum, no more, don’t allow the inner critic in you to extend that period since that’s the beginning of the end.
Another way to keep consistent is to make yourself accountable either to yourself, to your partner, or to someone with similar goals as yourself. For major changes, I’d recommend you get a coach.
2022 has come to an end, and it’s time to take stock of any habits you might have picked or old habits you’d hoped to change but did not; from your thought patterns, to how you react to situations or people around you, including stressors – what do you allow to occupy your mind. When squeezed, do you really produce lemonade, or is that just what you say? In your relationships, did you put your best foot forward, or do you know deep within that you gave them a raw deal? Did you really take an apple a day or that’s just what you know in your mind? Did you get more physically active? Did you invest in yourself, or you were just conveniently too broke to do so?
What would you like to change in 2023? I have mine lined up, and some are a little scary – but hey… That’s what makes life tick, isn’t it?
