Can you Change your Habits'
Has your spouse or any of your friend told you lately that one
of your habits has become annoying or offensive? Have you had heated words over this issue?
The longer you are embroiled in conflict over
distasteful habits the greater potential you have for diminished companionship. If your mate is exhibiting these destructive
attitudes or making these comments, you should seriously consider examining
your behavior.
Few things are more demanding than eliminating bad habits, since they are part of our daily routines and personality. It takes days of patience and practice to break old habits.
Few things are more demanding than eliminating bad habits, since they are part of our daily routines and personality. It takes days of patience and practice to break old habits.
What Is A habit?
A habit is any
behavior that you practice without really thinking about it. Habitual behaviors
can be beneficial and liberating to you because of your ability to perform
these tasks without having to consciously think about your every action. Habits
can also be very destructive and lead you into arguments because your words or
actions are offensive When a behavior is practiced, day after day, you will
naturally train yourself to form habits. As you regularly perform this habit
you become skilled at your behavior. It becomes easy and comfortable for you to
take this action over and over again. Ultimately, you begin performing this
action automatically. This action has now become your routine behavior. Let me
give you some examples of some everyday habits.
Each day you get up in
the morning and unconsciously do many things by habit. You don’t think anymore
about how to get dressed, tie your shoes, or how to brush your teeth; you do
these things by habit. You then walk out the door and get into your car and
drive to work or school unconsciously performing a multitude of complex tasks.
However, the first time you drove a car you needed to think about every action
you performed,
Why Are Bad Habits So Hard To Change?
Consider the following
hindrances as you attempt to understand why you struggle to change.
1. I don’t believe it’s a problem. Bad habits are
very difficult to change because you may not think that your habit is really
that bad. Consequently, you won’t see the need for change.
2. . I don’t want to change. Furthermore, bad
habits are hard to change because we are basically selfish by nature.
Therefore, even though you may agree that your habits are offensive to your
mate, selfishness keeps you from making any significant change that will
rectify the problem.
3. I’m
trying but failing. You may see the need to change and possess a strong desire
to modify
your behavior, but another power is at work inside you that
frustrates your success
4. I give up. Many people give up in the midst of
the changing process. Why would someone do this? Look at it this way. With
every habit in your life, you have become skilled at performing it, the
behavior is automatic, you don’t consciously think about how to do it, and you
are very comfortable doing this behavior. Therefore, when you attempt to change
any habitual behavior you will have the exact opposite experience. This also means that you'll have to consciously
think about what and how to perform this new behavior, which will make it very
uncomfortable until you’ve formed the new habit.
techniques for a successful positive change in your habits
1. Acknowledge
and identify your bad habits: First step is to
admit you need to change. If you are in a state of denial, you won’t recognize
that you have a bad habit to change.
2.
2. Pick a habit
for 30 days:
Prioritize your bad habits and focus on one for 30 days. Take a 30-day trial to
re-condition your habits. If you are committed to changing at least one habit,
you will see remarkable results,
3.
3. Realize that
it’s in us to change: Don’t believe the old saying, “You can’t teach an old dog
new tricks.” You can break a bad habit if you really want to. No one else can
change your habits, if you don’t want to.
4.
Intention
& plan to change: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” A healthy process
of change in character requires a gradual pace, which entails planning. Develop
concrete milestones to measure your progress.
5.
Replace a bad
habit with a good one: Completely eliminating a habit is more challenging than
replacing it with a more productive habit. Moreover, it’s crucial to replace
the lost natural needs, such as the need to socialize and to be entertained
with something healthy.
6. Exercise
(physical and spiritual): A habit of regular physical exercise is obviously important for lasting
weight loss. But you may not realize that exercise helps in eliminating a
number of bad habits. For example, among smokers who become competitive
runners, for example, over 80% give up smoking.
7.
Moreover, exercising your will power (struggle to
fight temptations) for 30 days helps you kick all kinds of bad habits and form
new good ones. Willpower is like a muscle; the more you exercise it, the more
you strengthen it.
8. Change your
environment: Resist the negative peer pressure by finding a
better company of friends. Collective action to change is very powerful. I
remember one saying that
9. “A good friend
and a bad friend are like a perfume-seller and a blacksmith: The perfume-seller
might give you some perfume as a gift, or you might buy some from him, or at
least you might smell its fragrance. As for the blacksmith, he might singe your
clothes, and at the very least you will breathe in the fumes of the furnace.”
As you
take these steps to change your habbit
it will motivate your spouse or
anyone close to you to make the changes he or she needs to as well. Remember
the Golden Rule and apply it to your life Therefore :whatever you want men to
do to you, do also to them" (Matt. 7:12). Whatever you want, you must
first give!
Abdul
kalam said
You
cannot change your future but, you can change your habits And surely your
habits can change your future.
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