Facilitate good habits
Ever wonder why you constantly seem to be “starting over” and “trying again” over and over again? Why are our goals, which really mean something to us, so hard to achieve?
One theory is that our desires to be better are too strong; sometimes we are so afraid of failing that we don’t try to succeed. Another notion is based on impatience and our notorious tendency to want things done “yesterday.”
Sure, having goals and dreams give you a sense of purpose and direction, but they can easily seduce you into biting off more than you can chew.
How many of you were inspired by a heroic sporting event, like the London Marathon, vowed to be in line the following year, only to push yourself so hard that you ended up in worse shape than when you started?
How many of you finally felt the urge to write that book you’ve always dreamed of, spent the next few days writing down your ideas that turned the page, and then left your “bestseller in progress” to gather dust on the shelf?
You get the picture.
What we intend to do and what we actually do can be two very different things.
To reach our ultimate goals, we must recognize and, more importantly, accept that we cannot run before we can walk; We cannot allow our goals and desires to drive us into a frenzy where we try to achieve everything at once. And we can’t let the fear of failure stop us from trying to succeed.
To achieve consistent change, we must start with small new routines.
Consider the actions, good and bad, that you do every day without having to think about them. Brushing your teeth, pouring milk in your coffee, and biting your nails are good examples.
These types of actions have become so “routine” that you no longer have to concentrate on doing them. It just does them automatically: small actions that have become daily habits.
So wouldn’t it make sense that the best way to start a new habit is to make small changes that your brain can quickly get used to and repeat automatically?
Start breaking major goals down into small, achievable behaviors that will more easily become daily habits. That marathon you promised yourself to run does not have to depend on an injection of superhuman willpower, but on the development of a series of small habits that you can put into practice every day. That novel you’ve been dreaming of writing will become a tangible achievement as you get into the habit of writing a chapter or two a week.
It is not difficult for a builder to lay one brick at a time eventually making a house.
