7 Strategies to Create Habits That Serve Your Purpose
Creating a habit is something we’re not taught by our parents or schools. Not much has been mentioned about habit establishment until recently.
Habits That Serve Your Purpose has become a hot topic and for good reason. The right habits can change your life. With enough time and attention, nearly any habit can be created.
Use these seven strategies to create habits that serve your purpose:
1. Make a list of the habits you’d most like to create. Prioritize your list so you’ll be getting the most benefit from your effort.
2. Limit yourself to one habit at a time. Odds are you haven’t created a new positive habit in the last year, so even creating a single habit is a major accomplishment. Create one habit and then feel free to add another and another.
Let’s imagine that the habit you want to create is to do 25 push-ups each day. And let’s also assume that you have the physical ability to do all 25 of them.
3. Find a cue that will work for your habit. There are many things to consider when choosing a cue.
At what time of day do you want the habit to take place?
Where are you most likely to be when you perform the habit?
What are the things you do every day? It doesn’t work to choose a cue that only happens once a month if you’re trying to create daily habits that serve your purpose.
Or perhaps your habit is dependent on someone doing something, such as acting disrespectful to you.
For our push-up example, let’s choose brushing your teeth at night as the cue.
4. Start small. When you think about doing 25 push-ups, you might be less than enthused. Make it so easy you can’t possibly fail. How about two push-ups? That’s an easy goal for someone that can do 25.
You might be thinking that doing two push-ups is worthless. And it is, from a results standpoint. But the point in only doing two isn’t to build your arm strength. It’s to build a habit.
Getting down on the floor is the challenging part.
Whatever your desired habits that Create Habits That Serve Your Purpose happens to be, focus on making a habit of the first step. Make it simple and easy to experience success.
5. Build your habit. Move from two pushups to five to 10. Eventually, work your way to 25. Move your habit along slowly. When you absolutely dread the idea of performing your habit, you’ve moved too quickly. Back up to a more comfortable version.
6. Reward yourself. Pick a reward that isn’t harmful. Eating a candy bar or drinking a beer isn’t a suitable reward. At the very least, feel happy that you’ve made a change in your behavior. Jump around and make some noise.
7. Be persistent. It’s unlikely that things will go perfectly. Resolve to do your best and keep going until you have a full-blown habit on your hands. It can take anywhere from 10 days to several months, depending on the habit.
Creating habits takes time, patience, and intention. Avoid hoping that you’ll develop good habits.
Choose the habits you want to have and create them intentionally. If you can do this, you can conquer yourself and Create Habits That Serve Your Purpose in the world.
While you create new habits That Serve Your Purpose this can be challenging, it’s even more challenging to break bad habits. But you can do this, too!
“If you want to cultivate a habit, do it without any reservation, till it is firmly established. Until it is so confirmed, until it becomes a part of your character, let there be no exception, no relaxation of effort.”
Mahvira
What is an example of a habit that you have incorporated into your daily routine and what is the purpose of the habit?
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