Break The Habit!

Got any habits that are holding you back? Most of us know what habits we need to change. Always running late and procrastination are two biggies that trip a lot of us up. How do we get off of the rollercoaster of bad habits and start living our lives more successfully?

Start with a plan

It's not enough to simply want to stop a habit. We have to, on purpose, replace the bad habit with a good one and then on purpose devise a strategy to ease us into this new habit. It won't be easy at first so don't give up. You were very familiar with your old habit (doing things the way you're used to doing them) but breaking away from the familiar can be done once you have a plan - so stick with it.

Keep track of your successes

Document the times you are on time. Make note of every time you've been able to prepare ahead and get where you have to be on time. Jot down the things you did that helped you to be successful and keep doing that! Remember, everyday is different. Some days you'll be in the zone and feeling like you're crossing every one of those T's and dotting those I's. Other days you may feel like you've taken a giant step backwards. On those days, pull out your successes and let them encourage you to continue to move forward in your new habit.

Take it slow

Changing a habit takes time. So don't expect to be amazingly different overnight or try to change everything all at once. It helps to make a list of the things you want to change and then prioritize them. Start with the most important thing first. You may be surprised that taking care of one thing on the list helps with something else on the list.

Be honest with yourself

Habits are a matter of choice. You choose to do the things that you do - You can on purpose choose to change the choices you have made in the past and start making new choices. Ask yourself... How bad do you want this change? What are you willing to do to change?

Get help when you need it

Hey, everybody needs help with something. It's not a sign of weakness. Reach out to a good friend, family member or significant other to keep you accountable in your new habit. Explain that you'd really appreciate them prompting you to do the right thing - especially when you don't feel like it. Just don't bite their heads off when they do - remember you asked for this!

Change your habits - change your life change your destiny!