{How exactly to} break bad habits

Ask someone for advice {about how exactly} to break {a negative} habit {watching} their eyes {LIGHT}.

Immediately, they’ll say “Oh! {You should attempt} this new app!” or “{You need to} definitely read this book” or overwhelm you with {more information on} tips that “worked {for me personally}!”

The thing is, we {know} {might know about} do. But there’s more to changing a habit than learning {more info}.

Maybe {you would like to|you need to|you wish to} stop procrastinating, eating {processed foods}, or {extra cash}. {Could it be} just information {you will need}?

For {probably the most} part, we {know} {all of the} conventional advice:

• To stop procrastinating, put to-dos on a calendar
• To {cease eating} {processed foods}, substitute with healthier options
• To stop {extra cash}, {develop a} budget and {adhere to} it

All these “tips” sound logical. They {appear to be} {they ought to} work. {Yet} the tips alone doesn’t {result in} radical change.

What we {absolutely need} {is really a} system that guarantees we {continue} on our goals.

Step 1: {Overcome} past failures – for good

When we can’t {appear to} {continue} on our goals and break old habits, {a whole lot} us needlessly beat ourselves up. We think “well, {easily} just try harder” or “{easily} stop being so lazy” then {I possibly could} {create a} change.

And {whenever we} don’t {continue}, we feel guilty. Why do we {do that}? Guilt {may be the} least productive emotion. It doesn’t help us {progress}. It just makes us feel bad.

Let’s drop the guilt. It’s not our fault. We’re not weak or {not capable of} change. If we’re not {slimming down}, not spending quality (distraction-free) time {with this} families, or not doing {other things} {we wish} life, it’s usually because we don’t {learn how to} design our habits correctly.

So before {shifting} {to another} section, decide that for {at the very least} {another} week, you’ll {make an effort to} catch yourself {once you} use “guilty” language. Then, {rather than} beating yourself up, slightly alter your negative language into something more positive and productive.

Like this:

• Instead of “I’m so lazy” try “I’m human. Everyone struggles {with this particular}.”
• Instead of “I’m {likely to} fail” try “I’ll be fine. {Even though} the worst case scenario happens and I do fail, I’ll {be} ok.”
• Instead of “{I will} do X” try “I’d {prefer to} do X.”
• Instead of “{I’m} not {the type of} person who….” try “{Imagine if} I tried to…”

Once you internalize this, you make changes easier on yourself {and much more} FUN.

Step 2: Recognize how habits actually work

Every habit has three components:

• A cue, {that is a} trigger for a behavior {to start out} (like your {noisy alarms} going off)
• A routine, {that is} the behavior itself (like {getting up})
• A reward, {that is} {the advantage of} taking that {plan of action} ({just like a|such as a} nice, warm {sit down elsewhere} {looking forward to} you {once you} {escape} bed)

The reward is how our brains actually {figure out how to} want {a specific} behavior {later on}. We put 2-and-2 together and equate the pleasure of a {sit down elsewhere} with {getting up}.

That’s how people {grab} bad habits, like smoking, but it’s also how people {adhere to} good habits like exercising. They link a cue and routine to {an incentive}.

For decades people focused exclusively on changing the behavior, the routine itself.

But {we have now} {understand that} cues and rewards {are in fact} {the most crucial} parts of {creating a} habit stick. {In the event that you} {obtain the} cues and rewards right, the routines form {automagically}.

That’s why, {for instance}, {consuming more} chocolate {could help} exercise more.

Step 3: Choose your rewards {to generate} lasting change

Yes, you read that right: Research {shows} that {consuming more} chocolate {will help you} exercise more.

Here’s why: Eating chocolate {by the end} of {a good work out} {is really a} simple {solution to} ignite the reward centers in {the human brain} and cement {the nice} feelings {which are} {necessary for} a habit to take root.

It sounds contradictory (that eating chocolate {will help you} exercise more), but it’s true.

I recently sat down with Charles Duhigg, {writer of} the book The Power of Habit (arguably {the very best} book on behavioral change {today}), {to speak about} {how exactly to} create new habits.

And in this {section of} our chat, he explains {precisely how} important rewards {is usually to} break {a negative} habit (even something random like eating chocolate to workout more) and {ways to} choose {your personal} rewards {to create} new habits stick.

Your turn to break that bad habit: What’s habit {do you wish to} start? {Exactly what will} you do to reward yourself {when planning on taking} action {with this}? It’s {essential that you} plan this {beforehand}. {For instance}, you don’t {desire to} end your workout, leave {pretty quickly} and not {have the ability to} reward yourself with a smoothie {or perhaps a} relaxing shower. {You would like to|You need to|You wish to} {make sure that you} {can provide} yourself {an incentive} {to ensure} the behavior sticks.

Here are some sample rewards {you may} use:

• Giving yourself 5 minute breaks {for each and every|for each} 20 minutes of deep work you do.
• Allowing {you to ultimately} {purchase a} nice {footwear} {once you} hit your savings goal for a month
• Watching a {Television show} (guilt-free) after cooking {a wholesome} meal

The reward {could be} {whatever you} choose, {so long as|provided that} you’re giving yourself something you genuinely enjoy.

Step 4: Replace bad habits (why “quitting” doesn’t work)

It’s {very difficult} to simply break {a negative} habit. That’s because we’re still getting whatever cue was telling us {to accomplish} the bad habit {to begin with}, and we’re wired {to learn} the bad habit {gives} us {an instantaneous} reward.

We’re {more likely} {to reach your goals} if we change {a negative} habit {right into a} better behavior.

Here’s an common example: {Most of us} tend to {search for} something sweet {to consume} {immediately after} lunch. We hit the vending machine for chocolates, cookies, or {various other} sweet {to repair} our craving.

Because, yes, sweets and desserts taste good, but a habit {is a lot} {more difficult} than that.

• Maybe getting that sweet give us a burst of energy from the sugar so {we are able to} push through {all of those other} day.
• Or maybe we’re not {all set} {back again to} work so {waking up} for a snack gives us {an opportunity to} walk {round the} office and chat.

It’s {not only} the sweet that’s creating our behavior. There’s {a complete} {group of} reasons that surround it.

Instead of just {quitting} the sweets, maybe {we’re able to} try {waking up} from our desk and eating an apple instead. {Or possibly}, if it’s {the power} from the sugar that we’re craving, a {sit down elsewhere} will do {the secret}.

The {important things} {to notice} is that we’re not stopping cold turkey. Instead, we’re replacing a “bad habit” with {a fresh}, better one.

Decide what your replacement habit {will undoubtedly be} and commit by writing it down. {Any moment} your old behavioral pattern {arises}, {do that} habit instead.

Here are {ideas} {to truly get you} started:

• If you’re drinking {an excessive amount of} coffee, drink a decaffeinated tea instead.
• If you {have a tendency to} overeat when you’re feeling stressed, chew gum after you’ve eaten your regular {part of} food.
• If you always hit the snooze button {on your own} alarm clock {each morning}, move your alarm to {another} side of {the area} so you {need to get} out of bed {going to} snooze.

Step 5: {Reunite} {on the right track} when progress stops

Even {the very best} laid plans sometimes fail. That’s life. When we’re {attempting to} form {a fresh} habit, interruptions {to your} new routine can break the cue-routine-reward cycle.

But these setbacks don’t {need to} knock us permanently off course. Often, {we are able to} get back {on the right track} with some {very easy} fixes.

Here’s {how exactly to} KEEP a habit going once you’ve created it ({in under} 3-minutes).

What about you? {As soon as you} start {your brand-new} habit, how {do you want to} keep {carrying it out}? It’s {vital that you} plan ahead {because of this} so if your momentum temporarily stops, you don’t get permanently off track.

Some things {you can} do:

• Set up a quarterly review to {observe how} you’re doing (with google alerts in your calendar system)
• Get an accountability and support partner ({is actually a} friend or spouse)
• Make a public commitment (by posting to Facebook {or just} telling {all of your} friends)
• Create a “why” for why {you truly} want to {get this to} change

How 15 Top Performers Created Good Habits

Where {is it possible to} start?

I asked {a number of the} world’s top experts – people like Neil Patel, Noah Kagan, BJ Fogg and Josh Kaufman – {to talk about} {a number of the} life-changing habits and tests they’ve created {within their} own lives.

You can implement {many of these} in just {a few momemts}.

I put them together in this free guide {for you personally}.

15 Little Life Hacks {that may|which will} Change Your Life

It covers {from} habits {on how best to} {become more} productive, to {engaging in} better shape, to generating explosive growth in {your organization} and career.

Grab your free copy {in order to} {begin to build} massively successful habits into {your personal} life.

Click here {to obtain} access.