Do you want to do more? Breaking bad habits is a necessity.
With the new year being upon us, there is no better time to look at what our habits are, whether they are good or bad. Now, I am not talking about New Year’s Resolutions or anything like that. I shy away from these resolutions because they last about two weeks and fade away. I can tell you a story of saying I will wake up at 5am everyday on December 31st of 2011 and by the end of January 2012, I wasn’t waking up at 5am any day of the week. Why? Because, when I wanted to wake up at 5am everyday of the week, I wasn’t doing anything to make it happen. I just thought it would happen on its own, but when I didn’t take the process in steps, I quickly became frustrated with forming this new habit and gave up on it quicker than it began.
Forming healthy habits is a gradual process, not an overnight happening.
Again, I am not talking about resolutions. I am talking about forming life-changing habits. This time of the year gives us the opportunity to reflect and it tells us what healthy habits we should repeat and what bad habits to get rid of. We have to look at our lives and see what is and isn’t working. It is then and only then that we will be able to start breaking bad habits in our lives. It is at this point where we are able to move onward and upward to a bigger and better and life.
What life story do you want to live? Know who you want to be and create habits to make that happen.
Here are some examples of those things that have haunted you for too long and some action steps to begin breaking bad habits in your own life:
If your closest relationships are a mess…
Devote more time and energy to them.
Romance them.
Narrow down the relationships that are the most important.
If your health isn’t where you want it to be…
Eat more life-enhancing foods.
Have an event in the future, such as running a marathon, that you are working toward.
Laugh more often.
If your schedule is too hectic to manage…
Delegate everything you can.
Take a vacation to clear your mind.
Saying “Yes” is important, but you may need to begin saying “Yes” less often. Take hold of what is important before making bigger commitments.
If you can’t seem to get out of bed on time…
Prepare the night before.
Have something exciting to look forward to and do it first thing. If you aren’t excited about life, then you are doing it wrong.
Do everything in your power to increase your energy.
If you aren’t making the impact that you feel you should be…
Create the habit of reading.
Teach others.
Do more for others.
These are all great habits to implement, but let me remind you to take things gradually. When it comes to breaking bad habits, it comes down to making wiser decisions and implementing more discipline in your life for 2014. It requires you to become excited about life once again and to fight the depression you have been in for so long. It will pull you to romance your relationships, work towards goals and have fun doing it and focus on your top priorities. I am one of the last people remaining who believe that you can truly live a balanced life. I believe that you can do life well, while balancing life and embracing all that it has to offer.
Doing life well, taking the time and attention to focus on breaking bad habits and devoting yourself to creating better habits motivates you, as well as those around you.
The reason you should care to live a better life is not only that you reap the benefits yourself. Even though that is reason enough, the reason is much more than that. The reason you should long to live a better life is the impact you make on others along the way. That’s right. The only requirement to doing life well is that you care to make a bigger impact in the lives of others. When you begin breaking bad habits, you become more excited about living life to the fullest and good habits begin forming in your life.
If you want to get the results that everyone else is getting, continue with bad habits.
Good Habits = Bigger Impact
How can you begin to break bad habits in your life and what habits do you need to get rid of?