Before you can change or eliminate a habit, you need to pay attention to what you are doing. This is going to take some time and deliberate attention because a habit is something we do without thinking.

1- Create an activity journal

Have you ever recorded a food diary when you were trying to lose weight? You can do something similar with your activities.

You don’t need a fancy form or an expensive journal. Just grab a pencil and piece of paper and make a list of your daily activities.

If you aren’t sure your list is complete, spend a few minutes at breakfast, lunch, dinner and before going to bed to review your list and add anything you missed. 

Don’t pass judgement on yourself as you compile your list. In this first step you are only acknowledging what you do.

2- Evaluate your habits

We are not actually determining whether a habit is  “good” or  “bad” but whether it is helping you move toward your desired goals.

Review your list and look at each behavior or activity. 

• If it is good and something you want to continue, place a checkmark (✔️) next to it.
• If it is bad and something you want to give up, write an x (✖️) next to it.
• For neutral habits, like waking up or turning off your alarm, mark it with a dash (➖).

Don’t mark anything that you’re just not sure about.

If you need a little more help thinking about this, evaluate your habit in the long-term. Is the habit helping you become the person you want to be 10 years from now?

Often our bad habits help us feel better in the short-term but don’t have long-term benefits.

3- Pick one habit to change

You may have a few habits you want to change or discontinue completely. I know it’s tempting to start changing all of them but only pick one for now.

Remember, it is a habit precisely because you do it without thinking about it.  That means it is going to take some time, intentional thought and energy to change it. 

You might have the willpower to change several things in the short term but we want long term success and willpower alone probably won’t sustain you several weeks from now.

4- Make a plan

There are several different strategies so choose the one that is most appropriate for you.

• Reduce your exposure

If you are trying to lose weight and you just can’t resist those potato chips or a particular ice cream, don’t have them in the house. If they are items that other family members love and don’t need to avoid, have a conversation with them. Maybe you can find a different item that doesn’t tempt you yet satisfies them.

• Make the habit more difficult

Getting back to the ice cream example above, if living without it isn’t an option try finding a different location - the freezer in the garage or the basement, or buy a smaller quantity. When it’s gone, it’s gone until the next shopping trip.

• Change your mind-set

OK, this might be the toughest of the three. To truly change your mind-set you need to make the bad habit unattractive and the benefits of avoiding the habit attractive.

If you are trying to remove the habit of oversleeping and skipping your morning exercise, the original benefit might be your doctor’s advice - improving your health to avoid negative consequences. As you begin exercising and start to feel the positive results - better health, improved energy, natural dopamine spikes - your mindset will naturally shift to crave the benefits.

Changing your bad habits won't be easy, but it is achievable. We make plans for long road trips and get there one mile at a time.

Get started today and begin the first leg of your journey.

Y'all have a great week!

     Renee'