Aristotle once said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle is undoubtedly right, and many of us understand what good habits may be. Oftentimes, we even spot them in others. However, how do we develop and develop them in our own lives? We know that developing good habits is not only great for our own personal and professional development but also the benefits provided in other aspects of our lives. So what holds us back?
Many of us like consistency in our lives, and therefore making changes– even positive ones– can be daunting and scary. We all want to be successful in whatever we do, but it’s important to consider that great success does not come without creating positive habits. So where do we begin? It’s important to note that many researchers have pinpointed 21 days as being the optimal time to create a habit that will stick. To achieve this, you need motivation, a good plan, and a determined approach on how you will achieve it.
We have put together 4 key tips to help you on your journey to create good habits:
Planning and Goal Setting
Put together a list of habits and virtues you would like to possess and why. It’s important to understand your motivation in order to envision what life would be like to have it. Set a time period that is realistic and achievable, and let a reasonable amount of time pass before you review it. Write down how you would like to achieve these habits and what steps you will take each day to make sure you’re successful.
Positive mindset
Mind over matter. The mindset you have when developing your habits is crucial. Forming good habits comes from intrinsic motivation to change and personally develop, and only you can be in charge of that. By setting a plan and goals, this will give you the confidence to go forth and carry it out. Believe you can make great changes if you put your mind to it.
Find Healthy Ways to reward yourself
We all like to be told of a job well done or to receive a gold star, so make sure you recognize your progress and success in habit building. You may receive compliments from those closest to you who’ve noticed a change, and that’s great! However, it’s important that you see it in yourself to give you the motivation to continue and keep going.
Review
After 21 days, or longer, go back to your original plan, see what goals you set, and what you set out to do. Reflect on how far you’ve come and if there are any changes you’d like to make. Just because the 21 days are up doesn’t mean you don’t have to continue to push forward and make sure it’s an ingrained habit. Reviewing and reflecting on your progress is a great way to recognize where you were and where you still want to go.
We should all want to adopt and develop new habits as we get older and go through different stages; therefore don’t shy away from creating change that will have a positive effect on your life. Remember habits don’t only influence your personal development, they also have a huge impact on your career development and personal relationships.
