Changing Your Habits, One Degree at a Time

The reassuring news is that good habits are as easy to form as bad ones! It is just a matter of where we focus our energy and attention. The purpose of this article is to help you identify those activities that you want to change, and systematically improve your life by taking it one step at a time.

First, how do you determine where to start? Actions that help us move toward our goals, or toward something better than where we are now, are the ones that we want to continue. Anything that prevents us from moving forward in life, and blocks us from improving our situation are the areas where we want to focus our energy.

	Start by taking an inventory of your good habits. Write them down so you can review them often. This is part of using positive affirmations while engaging in life changing behaviors.
	Although there may be a glaring behavior that you know you need to change, it might not be the best place for you to start. Enjoying some successes in behavior modification with smaller goals can help you build the momentum to tackle the bigger changes.
	Divide goals into smaller bite size pieces. If you need to lose 50 lbs. begin the journey by focusing on the first 5 lbs. you are going to lose. If you need to pay off a debt of $20,000, set your sights on expiring the first $1,000 of debt. Each small task accomplished builds a stairway toward your final goal.
	Although our tendency might be to tackle several things at once, this is often why we become discouraged and give up before we have successfully changed a habit. Focus your energy on one action at a time. Let the first change become more a part of your comfort zone before taking on the next.
	Most successes in changing habits are accomplished by replacing one habit with a new one. Trying to “stop” doing something is much more difficult than acquiring a new habit in it’s place. If you are going to stop shopping at the mall for entertainment, you will more likely succeed by engaging in another activity that you enjoy. Otherwise, you will feel deprived because you have had to give up something that gave you a pay off in some way.
	Utilize support groups, when available. This resource will provide much needed reinforcement – others have been down the path of change and can help you by sharing a wealth of information and ideas. The creative energy from others will help make your journey of change more inspired and productive. The internet makes it possible to find support groups in every arena from quitting smoking, to losing weight, to achieving financial goals.
	Behavior modification, and changing habits, requires careful thought and preparation. If you try to make a change before you have adequately prepared, you are likely to give up before you have succeeded in making the change. A great resource to help in the stages of preparing for change, taking action, and maintaining the changed behavior is “Changing for Good” by Dr. James Prochaska and Dr. John Norcross.

Maybe you have heard of the “boiling the frog” theory. The question is – how do you boil a frog? One degree at a time. If you put a frog in a pot of cool water and turn up the heat, the poor guy won’t know what hit him and he will end up being a boiled frog. If you drop him in a pot of boiling water, he will immediately jump out and escape harm. That is how it is with the habits we develop – we develop them one degree at a time. Remember, it is just as easy to develop good habits as bad habits. Simply focus on what you want to create and tackle it one step at a time.