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Everyone knows how hard it can be to break an old habit. Even just trying to change a speaking mannerism can be frustrating, not to mention not leaning your elbows on the table (even being hit by your mother doesn't always help). It is so easy for some things to become a habit, and then so hard to break them. Therefore, if we can take something we want to be doing and turn it into a habit, how much easier would life be? Unfortunately, anyone who has made a New Year's Resolution knows that it doesn't seem to be that easy. So is there some secret way to form new habits?
According to some sources, it is just a matter of time. But how long? Some say 8 weeks, others only three, and still others any other number you would like to pull out from a hat. With so many different answers, there must be something more effecting the time it takes to form a habit. So what are some of these things?
First of all, the difficulty of the habit has a major affect on the time it will take to stick. Remembering to floss after your brush your teeth isn't so hard, but trying to teach yourself to sit down and write your best selling novel for three hours a night might take a bit more time. This doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, but why not work in baby steps? Training yourself to sit down for half an hour after dinner is not nearly as daunting as three hours, and once you have that sorted, you can build up to a whole hour, then an hour and a half. Soon you might find you are writing all night!
Second, the more often you perform the desired action, the faster and stronger it will form as a habit. It has been found that this is especially important at the beginning. So when planning to introduce a new habit into your life, try to perform it everyday, even if later you might drop that back a bit.
The final factor you should take into account is how much it clashes with your old habits. The more it clashes, the longer it will take or the less likely it will form at all. Therefore, when planning your habit forming behavior, try to minimize how much it clashes with your current habits. Want to start going to the gym everyday? Well, get yourself off to a good start by not scheduling it at the same time as X-Factor if you just can't skip it (unless you go to a gym with a TV, and tell yourself you can only watch while jogging... that might work). Look at your daily routine and try to slip the new habit in somewhere it won't cause too many waves, and if you can, try piggy backing on another habit. Always sit down to watch Deal or No Deal? Keep your new language study textbooks next to the TV and when Deal finishes, German starts.
Keeping in mind these three factors will help you to maximize the effectiveness of your new habit. Spend a little time planning how to best implement it and within weeks you will be finding the habit harder and harder to break.
According to some sources, it is just a matter of time. But how long? Some say 8 weeks, others only three, and still others any other number you would like to pull out from a hat. With so many different answers, there must be something more effecting the time it takes to form a habit. So what are some of these things?
First of all, the difficulty of the habit has a major affect on the time it will take to stick. Remembering to floss after your brush your teeth isn't so hard, but trying to teach yourself to sit down and write your best selling novel for three hours a night might take a bit more time. This doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, but why not work in baby steps? Training yourself to sit down for half an hour after dinner is not nearly as daunting as three hours, and once you have that sorted, you can build up to a whole hour, then an hour and a half. Soon you might find you are writing all night!
Second, the more often you perform the desired action, the faster and stronger it will form as a habit. It has been found that this is especially important at the beginning. So when planning to introduce a new habit into your life, try to perform it everyday, even if later you might drop that back a bit.
The final factor you should take into account is how much it clashes with your old habits. The more it clashes, the longer it will take or the less likely it will form at all. Therefore, when planning your habit forming behavior, try to minimize how much it clashes with your current habits. Want to start going to the gym everyday? Well, get yourself off to a good start by not scheduling it at the same time as X-Factor if you just can't skip it (unless you go to a gym with a TV, and tell yourself you can only watch while jogging... that might work). Look at your daily routine and try to slip the new habit in somewhere it won't cause too many waves, and if you can, try piggy backing on another habit. Always sit down to watch Deal or No Deal? Keep your new language study textbooks next to the TV and when Deal finishes, German starts.
Keeping in mind these three factors will help you to maximize the effectiveness of your new habit. Spend a little time planning how to best implement it and within weeks you will be finding the habit harder and harder to break.
About the Author:
Learn more about motivation. Stop by Elizabeth Greentree's site where you can find out all about how to become a prolific writer.
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