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13 Things to Avoid When Changing Habits

“Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.” - Mark Twain

I’ve learned a lot about changing habits in the last 2 1/2 years, from quitting smoking to taking up running and GTD and vegetarianism and waking early and all that. I could go on, of course, but you get the picture.

I’ve not only learned a lot about what you should do when changing habits, but through my failures, I’ve learned about what not to do.

And trust me, I’ve had lots of failures.

I’ve found failures to be just as important as successes when trying to learn how to improve, especially when it comes to changing habits. It’s not an easy task, and I’m sure every one of us has tried to quit something and failed, or tried to do something positive and failed. The key, of course, is to not just give up after failure, but to reset your resolve, to analyze what went wrong and why, and to plan to overcome those obstacles the next time.

I’ve done that, with one failure after another, and would like to share a few things I’ve learned to avoid when trying to change a habit.

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” - Jim Ryun

Taking on two or more habits at once. We’ve all done this. I want to learn to wake early, and to start running, and to eat healthier, and to be more organized, and to write every day … all at once! But no matter how much enthusiasm we have for all of these goals, taking on even just two habits at once is setting ourselves up for failure. I’ve tried it. Many times. It’s certainly possible, but it’s not for those of us who have difficulty changing habits (I think that’s nearly all of us). I would estimate that you triple or even quadruple your chances of success if you focus on one habit at a time, for one month at a time. Devote all of your energy to that habit change, and once it’s on autopilot, move on to the next one. Knock ‘em down one at a time.
Not committing a plan to paper. It’s easy to wake up, jump out of bed, and yell out loud, “I’m going to make a change today!” Who among us hasn’t done that? (Side note: if you don’t live alone, your housemates or family members might not appreciate all the yelling.) But just telling ourselves, whether out loud or quietly in our heads, that we’re going to change isn’t enough. You have to write down your goal. Write a start date. Write an end date (30 days is a good time frame). Write down exactly what you’re going to do. Write down how you’re going to be accountable, what your rewards are, what the obstacles are, what your triggers are. More on these below. Main thing: put it on paper and stick to the plan (don’t file the plan in your inbox, you piler you!).
Being half-committed. I’ve done this a few times myself: I will say, “I think I’ll quit smoking today.” Then I’ll throw away my pack of cigarettes (this should be in past-tense as I don’t smoke anymore, but I’m too lazy to go back and change the tense). Then I’ll go for as long as I can (often half a day!) and then cave in and go buy another pack. Then I feel guilty for a little while until I half commit to quit again. That doesn’t work. You have to commit Big Time. That means tell the world about it. Seriously — put it on your blog, tell your family, friends, co-workers, your butcher, the guy from your high school who you say hi to when you run into him at the grocery store and who you call “buddy” because you forgot his name. The more people, the better. Publish your entire plan. Put up a sign on your desk and refrigerator. Make a solemn promise to your child (this worked for me when quitting smoking).
Not having support. There will be times when you falter, almost invariably. Who will you turn to when you need encouragement? If you don’t have a good answer to this, you need to think it through. If you have a significant other, that’s a good choice, but have more than one supporter. Maybe your mom, your sister, your best friend, your boss. Maybe an online friend or three. Best yet, join a support group or an online forum full of people doing the same thing. Make the commitment to them, and ask them to help you when you hit rough spots. Make a promise to call them if you do. Put this in your written plan.
Not thinking through your motivation. In my experience, what people call discipline, I call motivation. Why are you disciplined enough to do something? Because you have the right motivation. When you lose the motivation, you lose the discipline. Before you start your habit change, think through your motivations. Why are you doing this? What will keep you going when you forget your reasons? Public commitment is a big motivator, of course, but you should have internal ones too. Write these down in your plan.
Not realizing the obstacles. Every habit change is a path littered with obstacles. Unfortunately, when we hit some of these, we often quit. Or we’ll try again, but hit the same obstacles again and again with the same result. Instead, think it through, and anticipate your obstacles. If you’ve failed before, think about what obstacle stopped you. If you’ve never done this habit change before, do some research and read about others who’ve succeeded and failed at it, and find out what obstacles you should expect. Then make a plan for what you’ll do when you face the obstacles. For example, I have a hard time eating in moderation when I go out. What will I do when I go out to eat? What are my strategies? I have to think these through before actually going out, because when the urge hits and you don’t have a plan, you’re too late.
Not logging your progress. You can change habits without keeping a log, but a log just increases your chances of success — and why wouldn’t you want to do that? Things are hard enough without using all the tools at your disposal. A log helps you succeed because it reminds you to be consistent. It keeps you aware of what you’re actually doing. It motivates you, because you want to write good things in that log. It helps keep you accountable before the people you’ve made a commitment to.
Having no accountability. Speaking of accountability, it’s the second half of the all-important public commitment. It’s not enough to make a big announcement on your blog and not follow through. For example, I announced my plans to get in shape earlier to all of you … but I also created a small training blog (or “tralog”) that will help keep me accountable. I report my progress daily, whether I fail or succeed. Take a look at my “tralog”. Even if you don’t have a blog, you have to set up a system where you remain accountable — maybe post your log up at your workplace, or email your progress to people, or just report to them daily in person.
Not knowing your triggers. This is an important key to changing habits. Every habit has at least one trigger — an event that immediately precedes the habit. Some habits have more than one trigger — for example, when I smoked, my triggers included waking up, eating, sex, stressful events, going out drinking, etc. Each time these events happened, almost without fail, I would smoke — either that, or I’d get the urge to do so. The more consistent the link to the trigger, the stronger the habit. So when you try to break a habit, you have to know all of your triggers (log it for a few days) and then create a positive habit to replace the negative habit for each of the triggers. Running, for example, replaced smoking when I got stressed. For positive habit changes, such as exercise, you need a trigger that will happen every day (or as often as you need it to happen). For exercise, you could exercise right after your morning coffee (if you have coffee at the same time every day already) or right after work, if you get off work at the same time every day. Put your triggers in your written plan, and be very very consistent with them — when the triggers happen, do the habit immediately, every single time. The less consistent you are with your triggers, the weaker the habit will be.
Not doing your reading. With every habit change, I find it important to read as much as possible about it, before and during. I will do my research, to find out strategies for success, potential obstacles, good tools that will help me be successful. And I’ll still read about it during the habit change — blogs, magazines, books, forums, success stories — to help motivate me.
Changing focus too soon. Often we’ll start a habit change, and within a week or two change our focus to something else. Well, the habit probably isn’t firmly ingrained by then, and so we’ve wasted all that time trying to form a new habit and then abandoning it before it’s on autopilot. Instead, stick to this habit for at least 30 days, and be consistent as possible.
Not being consistent. I’ve mentioned this a couple times now, but it should be addressed because it’s important. If you attach a habit to a trigger, you have to do the habit every single time, immediately following the trigger. If you do it sometimes and not others, you will not have a habit. Try not to miss a single time if possible, because once you miss once, you’ll be tempted to miss another time, and then a third, and then you’ve got nothing.
Quitting after failure. However, if you do miss once, or twice or three times, don’t give up. Just figure out why you missed, and plan to beat that obstacle next time. Then be as consistent as possible from then on out, until the habit is ingrained. If you quit, you’ve let the failure beat you. But if you reset your resolve, and learn from your failure, the failure then becomes a positive thing that helps you to succeed. As I’ve said before, I see failure as a stepping stone to success.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” - Aristotle

—
If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us, StumbleUpon or Digg. I’d appreciate it. :)

13 Things to Avoid When Changing Habits

“Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.” - Mark Twain

I’ve not only learned a lot about what you should do when changing habits, but through my failures, I’ve learned about what not to do.

And trust me, I’ve had lots of failures.

I’ve done that, with one failure after another, and would like to share a few things I’ve learned to avoid when trying to change a habit.

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” - Jim Ryun

Taking on two or more habits at once. We’ve all done this. I want to learn to wake early, and to start running, and to eat healthier, and to be more organized, and to write every day … all at once! But no matter how much enthusiasm we have for all of these goals, taking on even just two habits at once is setting ourselves up for failure. I’ve tried it. Many times. It’s certainly possible, but it’s not for those of us who have difficulty changing habits (I think that’s nearly all of us). I would estimate that you triple or even quadruple your chances of success if you focus on one habit at a time, for one month at a time. Devote all of your energy to that habit change, and once it’s on autopilot, move on to the next one. Knock ‘em down one at a time.
Not committing a plan to paper. It’s easy to wake up, jump out of bed, and yell out loud, “I’m going to make a change today!” Who among us hasn’t done that? (Side note: if you don’t live alone, your housemates or family members might not appreciate all the yelling.) But just telling ourselves, whether out loud or quietly in our heads, that we’re going to change isn’t enough. You have to write down your goal. Write a start date. Write an end date (30 days is a good time frame). Write down exactly what you’re going to do. Write down how you’re going to be accountable, what your rewards are, what the obstacles are, what your triggers are. More on these below. Main thing: put it on paper and stick to the plan (don’t file the plan in your inbox, you piler you!).
Being half-committed. I’ve done this a few times myself: I will say, “I think I’ll quit smoking today.” Then I’ll throw away my pack of cigarettes (this should be in past-tense as I don’t smoke anymore, but I’m too lazy to go back and change the tense). Then I’ll go for as long as I can (often half a day!) and then cave in and go buy another pack. Then I feel guilty for a little while until I half commit to quit again. That doesn’t work. You have to commit Big Time. That means tell the world about it. Seriously — put it on your blog, tell your family, friends, co-workers, your butcher, the guy from your high school who you say hi to when you run into him at the grocery store and who you call “buddy” because you forgot his name. The more people, the better. Publish your entire plan. Put up a sign on your desk and refrigerator. Make a solemn promise to your child (this worked for me when quitting smoking).
Not having support. There will be times when you falter, almost invariably. Who will you turn to when you need encouragement? If you don’t have a good answer to this, you need to think it through. If you have a significant other, that’s a good choice, but have more than one supporter. Maybe your mom, your sister, your best friend, your boss. Maybe an online friend or three. Best yet, join a support group or an online forum full of people doing the same thing. Make the commitment to them, and ask them to help you when you hit rough spots. Make a promise to call them if you do. Put this in your written plan.
Not thinking through your motivation. In my experience, what people call discipline, I call motivation. Why are you disciplined enough to do something? Because you have the right motivation. When you lose the motivation, you lose the discipline. Before you start your habit change, think through your motivations. Why are you doing this? What will keep you going when you forget your reasons? Public commitment is a big motivator, of course, but you should have internal ones too. Write these down in your plan.
Not realizing the obstacles. Every habit change is a path littered with obstacles. Unfortunately, when we hit some of these, we often quit. Or we’ll try again, but hit the same obstacles again and again with the same result. Instead, think it through, and anticipate your obstacles. If you’ve failed before, think about what obstacle stopped you. If you’ve never done this habit change before, do some research and read about others who’ve succeeded and failed at it, and find out what obstacles you should expect. Then make a plan for what you’ll do when you face the obstacles. For example, I have a hard time eating in moderation when I go out. What will I do when I go out to eat? What are my strategies? I have to think these through before actually going out, because when the urge hits and you don’t have a plan, you’re too late.
Not logging your progress. You can change habits without keeping a log, but a log just increases your chances of success — and why wouldn’t you want to do that? Things are hard enough without using all the tools at your disposal. A log helps you succeed because it reminds you to be consistent. It keeps you aware of what you’re actually doing. It motivates you, because you want to write good things in that log. It helps keep you accountable before the people you’ve made a commitment to.
Having no accountability. Speaking of accountability, it’s the second half of the all-important public commitment. It’s not enough to make a big announcement on your blog and not follow through. For example, I announced my plans to get in shape earlier to all of you … but I also created a small training blog (or “tralog”) that will help keep me accountable. I report my progress daily, whether I fail or succeed. Take a look at my “tralog”. Even if you don’t have a blog, you have to set up a system where you remain accountable — maybe post your log up at your workplace, or email your progress to people, or just report to them daily in person.
Not knowing your triggers. This is an important key to changing habits. Every habit has at least one trigger — an event that immediately precedes the habit. Some habits have more than one trigger — for example, when I smoked, my triggers included waking up, eating, sex, stressful events, going out drinking, etc. Each time these events happened, almost without fail, I would smoke — either that, or I’d get the urge to do so. The more consistent the link to the trigger, the stronger the habit. So when you try to break a habit, you have to know all of your triggers (log it for a few days) and then create a positive habit to replace the negative habit for each of the triggers. Running, for example, replaced smoking when I got stressed. For positive habit changes, such as exercise, you need a trigger that will happen every day (or as often as you need it to happen). For exercise, you could exercise right after your morning coffee (if you have coffee at the same time every day already) or right after work, if you get off work at the same time every day. Put your triggers in your written plan, and be very very consistent with them — when the triggers happen, do the habit immediately, every single time. The less consistent you are with your triggers, the weaker the habit will be.
Not doing your reading. With every habit change, I find it important to read as much as possible about it, before and during. I will do my research, to find out strategies for success, potential obstacles, good tools that will help me be successful. And I’ll still read about it during the habit change — blogs, magazines, books, forums, success stories — to help motivate me.
Changing focus too soon. Often we’ll start a habit change, and within a week or two change our focus to something else. Well, the habit probably isn’t firmly ingrained by then, and so we’ve wasted all that time trying to form a new habit and then abandoning it before it’s on autopilot. Instead, stick to this habit for at least 30 days, and be consistent as possible.
Not being consistent. I’ve mentioned this a couple times now, but it should be addressed because it’s important. If you attach a habit to a trigger, you have to do the habit every single time, immediately following the trigger. If you do it sometimes and not others, you will not have a habit. Try not to miss a single time if possible, because once you miss once, you’ll be tempted to miss another time, and then a third, and then you’ve got nothing.
Quitting after failure. However, if you do miss once, or twice or three times, don’t give up. Just figure out why you missed, and plan to beat that obstacle next time. Then be as consistent as possible from then on out, until the habit is ingrained. If you quit, you’ve let the failure beat you. But if you reset your resolve, and learn from your failure, the failure then becomes a positive thing that helps you to succeed. As I’ve said before, I see failure as a stepping stone to success.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” - Aristotle

—
If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us, StumbleUpon or Digg. I’d appreciate it. :)

Posted on 10 April 2008 in Habits |
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Comments (121)

Bob Younce at the Writing Journey Says:

April 10th, 2008, 22:26 pm

Like you describe, my thing has always been trying to get healthy all at once. I’ll quit smoking, gain 30 pounds, start dieting, and smoke again because I’m stressed from dieting!

Knock on wood, I’m at the place in my life where I’ve quit smoking and maintained a diet. I had to separate the two habits by 5 months, though, for it to be effective.

Very insightful stuff!

Laurie Says:

April 10th, 2008, 22:27 pm

My biggest challenge was time. I was trying to create the new habit of keeping my roomin order one area at a time. I lost it again when I was in a pinch for time. Things started being dropped down again.

Great ideas Leo. I’ll give it another try.

Clay Collins | Anti-Hacks for Living Says:

April 10th, 2008, 22:28 pm

I’m on board with the not thinking through your motivation thing. I’ve too often set goals for less than authentic reasons, and when I needed intrinsic motivation it wasn’t to be found. Sometimes it’s resulted in wasted effort. Thanks for the reminder. Out of curiousity, what habits are you trying to change right now?

Leo Says:

April 10th, 2008, 22:35 pm

@Clay: Working on making strength training a habit right now. That’s why I’m starting light — it’s not about the weight, it’s about the habit. I committed to it before all of you, with my training blog for accountability. My trigger is my morning coffee and my calendar, which gives me a reminder in the morning on my strength days. My motivation? My training blog, a daily progress report on an online forum, and a honeymoon in June — gotta look good for my hunny!

Corey - Simple Marriage Project Says:

April 10th, 2008, 22:50 pm

The amazing power of thinking. If you think that maybe you’ll try something different or hope to stop this or that, you probably won’t. Any hint of doubt becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I love the idea of others helping you make your goals. Then it becomes the incredible power of relationships.

Vered@MomGrind Says:

April 10th, 2008, 22:56 pm

I seriously need to change the habit of spending way too much time in front of my computer.

I haven’t been successful so far and I can see why: I never put my plan on paper; I have always been only half committed; and I never created an accountability system.

This is very timely for me. Thank you.

Clay Collins | Anti-Hacks for Living Says:

April 10th, 2008, 23:00 pm

@Leo: Oh, right! One thing at a time. That’s important.

Hunnys are good motivation :-). Thanks for sharing that.

–Clay

P.S. Now you’re not only going to be more prolific than the rest of us, you’ll also be able to bench press most of your readers as well!

Adam King Says:

April 10th, 2008, 23:16 pm

Well, another great post. It is , as usual, exactly what I needed to read at just the right time. I am always seeking improvement personally as well as developing good business habits. This is something that does not come naturally so it feels like twice the work just to begin developing these habits of business. Thanks to encouraging and challenging posts like this, I can formulate a strategy and successful plan. Thanks Leo. I mean it.

kay Says:

April 10th, 2008, 23:26 pm

Wow, I have to say that this is one of the best inpirationsal post, I have read in a long time. I have been trying to form some habits that just haven’t been working out and your post, placed a whole new EASY way that I can follow.
thanks

Tad Says:

April 10th, 2008, 23:32 pm

Leo,

Not having accountability is one of the biggest reasons you can’t change a habit. If somebody doesn’t help you through a situation, it is not hard to let yourself down.

Tad

Marelisa Says:

April 11th, 2008, 0:38 am

I completely agree that knowing your triggers is key. In addition, your habit–however bad it may be for you–is serving you in some way. Unless you create a positive substitute you’re just going to fall right back into the old habit. Basically, by removing a habit you’re creating a void, and unless you consciously decide what you’re going to do to fill that void, the old bad habit is just going to find its way back in.

For example, I can keep myself from eating ice cream if I freeze orange juice in ice cube trays and have that instead. But if I simply try to tell myself that I’m not going to have anything sweet, fifteen minutes later I’m in my car driving to the supermarket to get ice cream.

Miss Gisele B | myBeautyMatch.com Says:

April 11th, 2008, 1:10 am

Motivation!

Leo, I’d have to say that if you are not clear of the “why” you want to change or “why” you feel the need to make a change in your life, your attempts will fail.

Another point is making changes for the wrong reason, i.e: wanting to please someone else.

Changes can only be successful when you avoid all the points you’ve listed and when they are done with the right intentions.

That’s a great post!

Miss Gisele B.

ankit Says:

April 11th, 2008, 1:13 am

hey leo,

not your original work,

had already recieved it as a forward before,

anywayz inspiring blog ,

keep the good work going.

pnoque Says:

April 11th, 2008, 1:23 am

Seriously! How many times can the author of this site repackage the same content with a twist and keep people coming back for more? It’s completely worthless!

Eugene (Editor, Varsity Blah) Says:

April 11th, 2008, 1:31 am

I’ve said this before but it’s really important. My advice is to take the approach Tony Robbins uses and to get angry. This may seem like a step in the wrong direction, but anger can be a great motivator. In fact, feeling a sense of frustration and dissatisfaction with our lives is often exactly what’s needed to push us to the next level. It all comes down to the fact that everyone is driven by a combination of pleasure and pain, i.e. the proverbial carrot and stick. Focus on the pain of where you are and the pleasure of where you want to be. Decide that it’s about time you raised your standards and refused to accept mediocrity any longer. Decide that things absolutely have to change and that they absolutely have to change right now.

Buzz Says:

April 11th, 2008, 1:42 am

Great stuff! I had figured out allready that doing new stuff when you’re motivated is great, but unless you make it into a habit, you will fall back to your old ways, but especially #9 about triggers is something I haven’t thought of until now. Very useful!

Ann Says:

April 11th, 2008, 1:51 am

I’m guilty of trying to make too many changes at once. It always backfires. But how to choose what to tackle first???

Albert @ Headspace (http://thoughtsintime.co.za/) Says:

April 11th, 2008, 2:15 am

Guilt used to be my number one enemy when changing habits.

Then one day I realized that guilt doesn’t actually help me to stick to the new habit - it often even leads me to giving up etc.

When I feel guilt, I now try to return to the new habit as soon as possible, rather than wallowing in guilt.

And I loved “Not thinking through your motivation”. I have realized the same thing. I have often committed to changes through sheer excitement. When a moment’s reflection would have made me realise that this change is not that important in the greater scheme of things.

Leo Says:

April 11th, 2008, 2:40 am

@ankit: Actually, this is my original work. If you’ve received a forwarded copy of this post in email before, I’d love to see the email. I wrote this from scratch and have never read it anywhere before. I’m sure I didn’t invent each and every point, but they’re things I’ve learned over the last few years in changing many habits, not from a single source.

@pnoque: I’ve mentioned some of these points before, but not all in one post. If you can point me to a post where this same content was repackaged, I’d love to see it. Of course, many readers might have missed some of the points, so I was hoping a post like this, that brings together some of my more important habit information and adds some new info, would be useful to some people. As for whether it’s worthless … I can’t argue, except to say that it might not be as worthless to others. I’ve never guaranteed that my articles will help everyone! :)

Scramblejam Says:

April 11th, 2008, 3:16 am

Another great post Leo… Those are some potential hazards right there, that most of us could do with managing BEFORE we start on our habit changes.

Myself I need to make much more effort around have a single habit to focus upon… I keep tackling more than I can handle, and my motivation and progress often fizzles out.

On the plus side, I cannot agree more on the power of logging your progress, and with getting a plan down on paper.

I’ve just published a post on my chosen solution for tracking my habit changes at Track your Goals and Habits like a Pro.

Krishna Says:

April 11th, 2008, 3:26 am

Excellent post, it really hit the mark for me.

I think I kind of realized exactly what you said after multiple failures and trying to do too much at once. It’s a really good idea to commit yourself to one habit at a time.

Great blog, keep up the good work.

Krishna

Kelly@SHE-POWER Says:

April 11th, 2008, 3:26 am

Nice post, Leo.

For me, commitment and motivation are the big rocks to get in place to change a habit. I wrote an article series this week about How I Lost 9kg and Still Ate Chocolate Cake and in that I put motivation near the top of the list as to how I achieved this.

Too often we decide to make changes because we think we should or others think we should and this just doesn’t work long term. I think that if you are doing something for the right motivation - for a really life affirming motivation - then the struggle to change the habit will be drastically reduced.

And you’re so right about not quitting if we fail. This is such a harsh attitude to take to ourselves - “Oh you messed up, it’s never going to happen now”. If we think this way and berate ourselves while we are learning how to do better then we will never support ourselves long enough to achieve anything.

The trick is to be kind to ourselves and celebrate every small success we have in our life journey. We are more than what we do, so while changing habits can be important I bet your hunny is going to love you long time on this honeymoon no matter what.

Good luck with the strength training. Have you tried boxing? I’m addicted and it’s the perfect accompaniment for running!

Kelly

Totu Says:

April 11th, 2008, 3:32 am

Hi Leo,

Thanks for another great posting. How come you are so smart?

I just launched my blog two days ago, I am totally new to blog-writing. Your blog is in my favorites and I added a short message on this post and your blog.

Totu

wendy RJR Says:

April 11th, 2008, 3:38 am

Re: pnoque Says:
April 11th, 2008, 1:23 am
Seriously! How many times can the author of this site repackage the same content with a twist and keep people coming back for more? It’s completely worthless!

We keep coming back for more, because we find inspiration at just the right time for our own personal development - and for the content that doesn’t interest us at any given time, we can pass over without it harming us! If you’ve grown beyond this blog, follow another - no problems.

pavs Says:

April 11th, 2008, 3:38 am

leo I want my money back. I thought your articles will save my life !!

This is blasphemy.
No THIS IS ZENHABITS!!!

/sarcasm ;)

Leslie Says:

April 11th, 2008, 3:50 am

You inspired my writing this morning. Only came across your blog last week and have added to my read - thanks and keep at it.

Ryan Says:

April 11th, 2008, 3:57 am

I am going to take issue with point 1. Not that it isn’t difficult to handle multiple habits at once, because they all pull you in different directions, but because frequently, giving in to one will pull you down another road. I’ll give an example of three of my vices.

Slothful living
Too many video games
Not going to the gym enough
Drinking too much

The third is definitely the hardest to shake, and arguably the most important. But here’s the crazy thing — the best way I have found to attack all four is by attacking the third, and fighting not to give in to the fourth. And it’s not like I’m a raging alcoholic, but when I have a beer or three, I start leaving bottles around the house. When I see them the next morning, I get annoyed. I sit down and fire up the playstation instead of cleaning up. three hours later, when the gym is closed and I’ve already missed the time I planned to go, I get annoyed again and crack open another beer.

If I make it a priority to go to the gym, none of this happens. I grab the orange juice afterwards and I save the beer for when a friend comes over. I throw away the container (usually). And I get bored by the games.

Habits are not isolated things. THey need to be attacked one at a time, but if there is a pattern, it should be addressed holistically. Don’t smoke more while you try to shake alcohol. Don’t eat more when you start running (well, actually DO eat more when you start running…but reasonably).

Ryan Says:

April 11th, 2008, 3:58 am

Argh, I added the 2nd and it threw off my numbering. Whatever. Add a 5th vice, not proofreading.

Heimdall Says:

April 11th, 2008, 4:03 am

Excellent post, Leo!

I am one of those people who take on far too many habits at once. So I did again about four months ago, when my previous relationship suddenly broke apart after five amazing years. I simply wanted to put into practice what I had always been thinking and/or talking about, and not tarry idly any longer. I used my grief and disappointment as a source of energy.

It actually worked pretty well with some habits, and not at all with others. I am beginning to see the point of tackling the challenges one by one. :-)

Your other points are also very valuable for me, especially the parts about triggers. Thank you very much for sharing your experiences! :-)

Simple Mom Says:

April 11th, 2008, 4:11 am

Doing only one at a time is my big pitfall. I can think of so many goals I have that tackling them all would be my demise.

Right now, I’m working on changing my e-mail habits, thanks to your writing and your guest post on ProBlogger.

Leo Says:

April 11th, 2008, 5:40 am

@Ryan: You make some excellent points, but I’m not sure you’re actually contradicting what I said. In your example, you’re really concentrating on one habit (going to the gym) and the others seem to follow naturally. That’s a good approach, but if you tried to focus on all four habits at once, you’d have a hard time.

If you think focusing on one habit will help solve other problems, I think that’s a good habit to start with.

I’d like to point out something interesting about triggers in your example: by focusing on the gym, you’re changing up your routine and actually removing triggers for drinking in the process. So that’s pretty cool. If other people can find examples like that, I’d say go for it — removing triggers for bad habits from your life isn’t a bad idea.

However, a little warning: you haven’t actually broken that habit — you’ve just removed the triggers. If for some reason the triggers come back into your life, you’ll have to focus on making sure the habit doesn’t reappear.

This happens when people stop smoking — sometimes they stop going out drinking so they won’t be tempted to smoke. But the next time they go drinking, they’ll feel really strong urges — they should be on guard and try to create a more positive habit for the trigger of going out drinking.

Thanks for the excellent points!

hanzo Says:

April 11th, 2008, 5:42 am

I’ve been following this blog for some time now… and well, most things are thinks I already know… but one thing is knowing, another one is understanding. You help me understand what I know. Thank you very much for it!
hannes

AW Says:

April 11th, 2008, 5:42 am

Brilliant post as usual and truly inspirational.

When it comes to triggers I find the monotony of my daily routine to be an issue. So to battle this I regular try to switch things around to bring some variety to it and cut out the boredom factor, which usually sees me reaching for a cigarette.

Trent Hamm Says:

April 11th, 2008, 5:47 am

The number one thing that helps me with a new habit is constant reminders. I use a GTD program that gives me a to-do list every day and on that list is a reminder of the new habit I’m picking up. I have to see that reminder every time I visit my list of stuff to do today - and it’s a big motivator for me to get that list to empty ~every day~.

unstuffed Says:

April 11th, 2008, 5:48 am

I love the point that it’s not willpower, it’s motivation: that was a blaze of brilliance to me. Combine that with the point about triggers and it helps explain why I’ve struggled unsuccessfully for years to change some habits, then others fall away almost without trying.

Excellent once again, Leo. Thanks.

won Says:

April 11th, 2008, 6:52 am

Thank you all.

Marcos Says:

April 11th, 2008, 7:13 am

Leo, I love your blog. This post is brilliant!

I think that the quote of motivation and habits is from Jim Rohn, not Jim Ryun.

Best regards from Argentina

Marcos

Hugo Says:

April 11th, 2008, 7:18 am

I love the way Hanzo put it into words. That’s with a lot of the Zenhabits subject no? They all seem so simple, and you recognize the things you read, but they fall into place :)

Leo Says:

April 11th, 2008, 7:21 am

@Marcos: Hmm, interesting … I did a search and there are pages that attribute the quote to Rohn, and more that attribute it to Ryun. Any idea how I can settle the question definitively? Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

Marcos Says:

April 11th, 2008, 7:45 am

I have heard Jim Rohn use that phrase many times in his lectures, but I don´t know if he actually coined it, or just borrowed it because it suits his ideas about habits…. Maybe you should ask him!

Anyway, does it matter? Rohn´s or Ryun´s, it´s good for me!

Sarah Says:

April 11th, 2008, 8:22 am

Similar to #1, I’m working on starting slow with my new habits. For instance, I’ve joined gyms three times in the past three years. Every time it’s the same: at first, it’s so exciting and I want to go every day! And spend an hour on the elliptical each time! And then I miss a few days, and then maybe go once, and then miss some more days, and then just stop going. Because in my sub-conscious mind, I associate the gym with either going every day or not at all. So there’s a gym opening in my neighborhood in a few weeks, and I know I’m going to want to go every day, but I’m going to try this: the first week, I’ll go Tues and Thurs. If I can do that consistently for a few weeks, I’ll add a weekend day. Once I’ve been doing THAT for a few weeks, I’ll see if I want to add more. I’d rather go two days a week consistently than go every day for two weeks and then stop.

Wendi Kelly Says:

April 11th, 2008, 8:37 am

Leo, Thanks for this reminder to keep it simple and do one at a time.
I thought I was really focusing on only one, but I can see that I have been sneaking in others here and there as well. One for exercise, One for eating healthy, one for keeping the house cleaner, one for the blog, I think they are adding up.
Time to back off a little. That’s hard for me.

Just keep reminding us every now and then..I may get it some day…:)

april Says:

April 11th, 2008, 8:49 am

Wow this is very useful!
Thanks for sharing!

Greg Says:

April 11th, 2008, 9:05 am

I’ve always found that having accountability for something you decide to change is more likely to result in realizing the change. Too often I’ve declared wanting to form a new habit but never carried it through because they were just words spoken.

SpaceAgeSage Says:

April 11th, 2008, 9:27 am

As a third degree black belt who served as a senior instructor for years, I have found there is a continuum of motivation. Some people are highly driven to complete a goal from extreme internal motivation. Others require an instructor or friend to kick their butt all the way to the goal. Many of us fall some where between the two extremes. Recently I decided that one of my goals is to stoke the fire of my own internal motivation so I don’t rely on others, unless I just want to. The result is that I have had to really look inside myself to find the whys of what I do. One of the sources I turned to in helping me research all this is the Enneagram with its insight into nine personality types. Now I am discovering what holds me back or motivates me based on my personality type and how to change those things to improve my ability to meet a goal. For example, my personality type worries a lot about all the stuff I need to do today and has trouble projecting into the future, so I am having to learn to fix my eyes on the future goal a lot more vividly so the day’s busyness doesn’t eat up my motivation.

Kristin Says:

April 11th, 2008, 9:48 am

Leo, I enjoy your blog and aspire to having one as beautiful as yours someday.
I, too, fall prey to trying to change too many habits at once. In fact, I did that this week. One thought to add to both your “planning” and “motivation” sections is to write down what will happen if you don’t achieve your goal. We tend to move toward pleasure and away from pain. The pain is what I’m suggested you document. And, I always reward myself for even the baby steps I make toward my goal.

kleanchap Says:

April 11th, 2008, 9:58 am

Excellent article!!

Some of the items in the list hit me hard.

Changing too many habits at once - One thing I learned with this effort from the past is that you should accept that you are not perfect. Don’t try to be perfect person by changing an array of bad habits. At cosmic level, even God was not perfect. Having said that, the only path to the perfect being (i.e. God) is by trying one habit at a time.

Triggers, is one point I have never thought about. These are closely associated with the friends and family you hang around. Bottom line, it is the company you keep that activates the triggers. If you are alone, your company is likely to be some gadgets or food. Triggers are the item that I was always missing and loosing to changing some bad habits.

My habit (which I am beginning to loathe) is Internet addiction (Web Surfing). Aaaaaargh. It is such a necessary (for work) evil but a great time waster as well.

I was always wondering why I was failing trying to learn new positive habits.

Thank you again for this great article!!

Rick - Tripping the Muse Says:

April 11th, 2008, 10:00 am

I find numbers 2 and 11 extremely good advice. Writing a habit you want to change (or one you wish to have) down and pinning it to the wall or above your desk as inspiration when you wake up in the morning is key. I too find myself changing focus too frequently even though I have heard it said a million times that you need a good 30 days to form or change a habit. This was a perfect reminder of that.

Rick

Rick - Tripping the Muse Says:

April 11th, 2008, 10:01 am

I also want to add - hilarious picture for the post by the way…

Teresa Says:

April 11th, 2008, 10:37 am

For several years I’ve been on and off the wagon with FlyLady.net, who talks a lot about habits in the context of homemaking. Her first (WEIRD) rule is to Shine Your Sink. Oddly enough, this habit encompasses so much (wash the dishes, keep sink empty) that many other habits flow from it and it’s the perfect first step to CREATING a good new habit. Breaking an undesirable one is harder. So for each area of my life, I try to figure out what my shiny sink is. For my health it’s doing and checking off a very simple morning routine.

Your tips are all sensible, probably restated elsewhere, but it’s your fresh writing that makes the message relevant. Keep on keeping on!

kleanchap Says:

April 11th, 2008, 10:45 am

@Teresa

Great pointer. Could you (or any reader) think of a shiny sink for financial health? The bad habit here is credit card debt.

Vero Says:

April 11th, 2008, 10:45 am

Thanks for the post! I’ve been trying to change several habits lately - this month: getting to work on time. (Which is the first step to becoming an early riser - or at least, an *earlier* riser!)

I love the advice about the triggers, but I have a lot of trouble identifying and setting mine. I don’t do *anything* at the same time every day. I get up at random hours - this one I’m trying to change, perhaps it’ll help in the future - I leave work at a different time every day, I eat at random times (I’ve always had dinner very late, somewhere between 7:30 and 10:00, sometimes later), I go to bed whenever I feel tired, and generally very late… I’ve never done anything consistently, and have always fought routines with passion.

Now I’m trying to (mostly for the sake of my career) to include some routines in my life, and feel my entire being resisting them… yikes!

Well, I’m working on it, and definitely follow most of the rest of your advice: write it down, talk to people, I’ve been getting great support. Hopefully I’ll improve slowly! :)

Andre Kibbe Says:

April 11th, 2008, 10:47 am

Great post. I’d also add not setting a date to review progress. When I want to change a habit, I always ask myself, “When do I expect to start forgetting or losing interest in this?”; then write a review reminder that goes in my tickler file.

I’m a big believer in factoring in loss of motivation, and building in reality checks to compensate for it.

Tom – Ponderosa Design Says:

April 11th, 2008, 11:14 am

This is great stuff, Leo. I personally find that troubled childhoods, at times, render the most susceptible lives for issues like addiction, self-parenting, and even intense defense mechanisms that are concrete as adulthood crystallizes.

But even with the tall orders of life to work through, the freight-liner loads of forgiveness to hand out, it really does come down to your concept…

Habit for habit. You can’t end one habit without picking up something else in it’s place. Nor can we simply drop something we’ve held onto for decades or more, and expect it to not find it’s way back to our grasp. These are super-highways engraved right into our neuro-network.

Appreciate the continued reminder… and the morning routine, for myself is now just over 10 days in motion, so I’m especially reminded.

Peace.

Chris Austria Says:

April 11th, 2008, 11:14 am

When I decided to give up meat, I blogged about so that a lot more people will know and help me accountable. The support of my wife, changing the household dinner menu, has been a great help.

Man, it’s hard!
http://watdawat.com/2008/02/29/how-to-kill-the-environment-eat-meat/

D. Says:

April 11th, 2008, 11:21 am

I love the photo! Those must be two Sisters of St. John “in habit”. They are a Catholic order of nuns from France. Talk about simplicity and habits, etc… I lived with them for a few years and that sure simplified my life!!

Anita Says:

April 11th, 2008, 11:43 am

Our minds are such slippery things, and seem to be determined to undermine all our best efforts! Leo, your advice is great and it can’t be stressed enough that we have to have compassion for ourselves, with the understanding that every failure is another point where we can get into the right habit again. :)

Stephanie Says:

April 11th, 2008, 11:52 am

Hi Leo,

I have an issue with the idea of putting yourself on “autopilot.” I know what you’re saying, but it’s certainly not a very ‘zen’ way to live, and contradicts a lot of your other advice.

You can’t, for example, be on autopilot and be living in the moment. Zen practice is meant to develop an awareness and clarity that wakes you up from autopilot. That way, you can make wise decisions just because you are paying attention, not because you have habituated your behaviour.

Most of us live on autopilot most of the time, and that deadens us to the harm caused by our habits. But establishing new habits to be put on autopilot just puts us back in the same rut. Any habit can be harmful if there’s no awareness, and you can’t by definition be awake and aware of your actions if you’re on autopilot.

Magic Says:

April 11th, 2008, 12:00 pm

I’ve found accountability to others and tracking progress to be the most helpful for me personally in my habit changing quest. I want to be able to read in my daily journal that I went to the gym 3 times a week. I don’t want to have to go back 6 days to find the last time I went to the gym. I’m writing my own story and have my ideas on how I want it to go.

Thanks!

Kim Says:

April 11th, 2008, 14:03 pm

@kleanchap My “shiny sink” for financial health is to track all of my money. I have on hand the balances for all my accounts and when I spend money I record that. Just recording the information helps keep me on track. If I’m up to date on recording everything it is easier to reconcile my bank statements, keep from overdrawing my accounts, encourage me not to charge things on my credit cards, etc. I had to put mine in writing, but you may find your computer would work better. Whatever works for you.

Javen Says:

April 11th, 2008, 15:01 pm

I came across this blog just today, and I must say I am very glad I did. I have been wanting to change some of my habits, and such advice on how to do it is exactly what I needed. Thank you.

Karen Says:

April 11th, 2008, 16:40 pm

I don’t really understand why people find it necessary to post critical comments about the blog. If you don’t like it, don’t read it. No one’s making you.

Even my favorite book authors or my favorite bands occasionally produce work I’m less than thrilled with. That’s life. Perhaps I’m just lazy, but I don’t feel the need to let them know I didn’t like it. Maybe the internet just makes it too easy to do so.

I’m not trying to lose weight (ok, maybe a few pounds), or quit smoking (did that 15 years ago) but there’s something about this blog that touches me. And I think if you follow the intent of Leo’s advice you can pretty much apply it to any habit you’re tying to change or goal you’re trying to reach.

I have forwarded some of Leo’s posts to friends and family members, but selectively. Not every post is relevant for everyone.

Proseac Says:

April 11th, 2008, 16:50 pm

@ kleanchap:

In keeping with the “slow & steady wins the race” philosophy, Mary Hunt’s Debt-Proof Living website is second to none, in my opinion. I’ve been a member for almost 4 years, started with over $15,000 of debt, and I will be debt-free in May 2008! Check it out:

Proseac Says:

April 11th, 2008, 16:51 pm

Sorry, here is the URL:

http://www.debtproofliving.com

Maura Says:

April 11th, 2008, 16:55 pm

Great picture… very appropriate —
Ladies of Discipline publicly displaying their “habits” :)

Leo, I enjoy your lists and posts even when you are reiterating some previously mentioned ideas. You always present them in a new light.

That said, I know you (and others) are a big fan of public commitment and support from others, but I have found that quite the opposite can be true. Telling others leaves you open to people interfering with your progress, tinkering with your triggers, inadvertently creating obstacles and generally disagreeing as to how or what or when you should go about changing.

I’ve always found great satisfaction in planning, setting and achieving goals, but when others start up with their meddling, their activities or comments are drains on my time and energy, and distract me from my efforts and focus. If they’re persistent or intrusive enough, my motivation may be diminished and replaced by an alternate desire to exclude them from my life! If I do recruit any support, I test the waters first to make sure the support will be positive and non-intrusive.

One thing I find missing in this post is the idea of Willpower or Resolve. This should fall under # 2 above, “Being Half-Committed.” Whether or not you follow other habit-changing recommendations, just having the right mindset (a mind like a mule) can make things happen.

One step at a time.

Charmarie Says:

April 11th, 2008, 17:19 pm

Very valid points, for me support has been the biggest motivation. My co-worker and I had a very bad habit of going out and eating fast food often. We decided to buy food at the grocery store and make sandwiches for lunch. Not only has this made an impact on my pocket book but I feel better after lunch and not like I need to take a nap.

sandspiral Says:

April 11th, 2008, 17:26 pm

Leo, another great post–thanks. I’ve been reading ZH for months now, and one of the things that has helped me most is the concept of only trying to change one habit at a time. I seem to take much longer than 30 days to really get a new habit ingrained, but hey, slow and steady . . . ;-)

Like Maura (directly above), I have often found that public commitment and accountability has the opposite effect for me than it seems to for you. I understand why it works for you and others, and why you’re so in favor of it, but in my case the problem is that my self-respect has become very eroded over the years because I’ve broken promise after promise to myself. It’s tough enough to live with yourself when you keep doing that, but whenever I’ve made public declarations of my intentions and NOT followed through, then I feel even worse because I know everyone has seen me fail in what I told them I was really committed to accomplishing. The loss of self-respect just becomes a downward spiral.

What I’m doing now is starting to make very, very small self-promises without telling anyone, so there’s no added pressure. (I am VERY hard on myself, and any unnecessary pressure tips the scale toward the “failure” side.) Each time I make it easy for myself to succeed and actually *do* whatever small thing I’ve committed to (such as walking 20 minutes *today,* for instance, rather than committing to five workouts a week for the whole year), I really try to let that feeling of success sink in. Over time, I’m hoping this will gradually build up a more positive self-perception and increase my ability to take on larger and larger commitments with the knowledge that I can follow through with them. If I can reach that point, then maybe I’ll consider going public.

Just another point of view to add to the mix. :-)

Herkenham Says:

April 11th, 2008, 17:34 pm

@Teresa, the “Shine Your Sink” idea touches tangentially on a point that a couple of other people have made here. When you end a bad habit, it tends to leave a vacuum. You have to replace the vacuum left from a bad habit with something new in many cases. It really helps if you “crowd out” things you want to quit by filling your time and your spirit with something more fulfilling. It isn’t enough to resolve to get rid of dirty dishes, but to have the more fundamental goal of the shiny sink as the ultimate reward. The final result has to be in terms of establishing something positive, not just eliminating something negative.

I believe that if you are stopping something, it is a good time to start something else in its place. @Ryan illustrated this by talking about reducing the tendency to drink too much by putting time and energy into regularly going to the gym. That seems like an excellent example of filling the vacuum left by avoiding a drink by substituting a more rewarding activity in its place.

The most critical thing in the original list, from my perspective, is #11: Quitting after failure. This is the problem most people have with new year’s resolutions. You can’t wait a whole year to make the same resolution again. Picturing the metaphor of getting up, dusting yourself off, and trying again is indispensable. Changing a habit is not a battle, it is a war. You don’t quit after one or two lost battles, or the war will never be won. With some habits, the war never stops. You just have to keep working on winning most of the battles.

I found this blog post to be inspirational, and I believe it will be very helpful to me as a guide. I also got a lot of positive mental energy from reading the follow-up comments. I appreciate everyone who took the time to contribute here.

Rose Garden Says:

April 11th, 2008, 18:34 pm

@ Vero… You don’t sound very happy about or committed to your goal(s). Sounds like some external motivators (or de-motivators) are getting you down and helping you set your priorities in life. Maybe you should focus on changing some other things first. As Leo says, the rest will follow.

Regarding having multiple changes as the result of one goal, I think it depends on your focus - whether it is in the minutiae of life or the bigger picture.

I changed multiple things by setting a goal of “sticking to a budget” - it meant carrying (and preparing) a lunch, spending cash instead of using a debit card, setting up some automatic payments, changing some shopping habits (esp. groceries), taking time to plan ahead for some irregular expenses, and mid-term and long-term financial planning. So far, 4 months into it and my new job, I’ve focused on my goal and made changes allowing me to stay on-target with my plans.

For the longer term, I’ve also taken on a multiple-month project of examining my emotional relationship to money, and have been working on cleaning up my credit reports (reviewing them and disputing certain items).

Leo Says:

April 11th, 2008, 18:46 pm

@Stephanie: Ah, I see the confusion I caused! I was unclear — I didn’t mean that we should live on autopilot. Exactly the opposite!

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to clarify, because the point you bring up is very important. What I’m saying is that you should put your habits on autopilot, which happens whether we try to do it or not. We all have thousands of habits that are on autopilot, but we rarely think of them. What I’m proposing is that we become more aware of these habits, that we live more consciously by trying to cultivate the habits that we want to have — including being more present.

Don’t live on autopilot — be in the moment. I’ve written about this multiple times. But you can be present while putting certain habits on autopilot.

For example: every morning I brush my teeth. It’s a habit, and I don’t have to look at my schedule to see that it’s time to brush my teeth. It immediately follows my trigger of taking a shower. However, while I’m brushing my teeth, I try to be present, and feel the bristles on my gums, taste the toothpaste in my mouth, feel my breathing. I don’t always succeed, of course, but you get the idea.

Thanks for letting me clarify!

Michael Moniz Says:

April 11th, 2008, 19:22 pm

Leo

What a great post. Starting a NEW habit is hard and a lot of times we never think about the small things that hold us back.

It is all about commitment. If you really want to do it, you will. :)

barbara-ann Says:

April 11th, 2008, 19:45 pm

Wow - your list is comprehensive and well thought out. I am guilty of many (or perhaps all!) Sometimes life has a way of forcing us to comply with taking on more than one habit at a time.

For instance, I have had Type 1 diabetes most of my life and can recall the exact moment when daily insulin, blood sugar testing and dietary changes suddenly entered my life. I was very young, but I continue to struggle with my daily “must do” list. Having to deal with the cards I’ve been dealt has been challenging because the habits for survival are quite regimented.

I struggle to motivate myself to write things down and often ignore obstacles and triggers. I can be inconsistent and completely unfocused. But most importantly, I have to constantly remind myself that - no matter what - every failure is a learning.

Teresa Says:

April 11th, 2008, 20:04 pm

@kleanchap @kim and others — Kim beat me to post that my financial shiny sink is recording expenses every day in my agenda, including keeping receipts (it’s amazing how daily Starbucks adds up!). My achilles heel has been impulse purchases, so I also record what I WANT to buy, then sleep on it and revisit the decision. Over 2/3 of the time I don’t end up purchasing. As @Herkenham said, slow and steady!

Thanks for hosting this great discussion, Leo.

Janice Says:

April 12th, 2008, 2:10 am

Leo, What a helpful and remarkable post. I will have to read it again and again to implement some of the ideas. One question: What was your trigger for sleeping late, and how did you use these points to help you develop the habit of getting up earlier ? This issue, among others, is paramount at this time in my life. Thanks for a great post and an exemplary blog !
Janice

Trace Says:

April 12th, 2008, 4:09 am

A really great post, it hit home with me, as I am in the process of changing habits.

Thanks for sharing!

I hope you don’t mind me sharing it further on my blog :-)
Trace

hanyu_xuesheng Says:

April 12th, 2008, 5:18 am

Just started my first (small) habit change: reduce weight by 4 lbs until May 1.
Great post, Leo. Thanks for inspiring us.
All the best for you!

Ina Says:

April 12th, 2008, 6:57 am

My mantra to change any habit is:
Patience, preserverance and compassion for yourself.

Don’t beat yourself up when you fail.

Judy O'Connell Says:

April 12th, 2008, 8:35 am

Excellent, really excellent! Thanks Martin :-)

Totfit Says:

April 12th, 2008, 8:47 am

While I agree with most, I don’t necessarily agree with the one habit at a time part. I think often when we only concentrate on one “habit” we fail because of the other habits we have. A group of habits, becomes our lifestyle. If I tackle my bad habits as part of an overall lifestyle change I find I am more successful.This is accomplished by a picture of the way I want to view myself. I most certainly agree that it is very important to never give up. Any slip up in a bad habit is not a failure, but another point in which to make adjustments.

Dave Ford Does Earth Says:

April 12th, 2008, 10:04 am

I am having an interesting experience trying to get myself to floss every day. It seems so simple and I really hate the dentist. But, it has been a real bitch trying to get this habit locked into my daily routine.

The best thing I have ever done is put the floss in the shower.

It also provides another reason to stay in the shower longer.

Did I mention I am a big fan of showers?

Nice Post Leo.

kleanchap Says:

April 12th, 2008, 10:30 am

@proseac, @kim and @teresa Thanks for the tips on monitoring the money.

Last night I started reading about “Yoga sutras of Patanjali”. Here is a good sutra applied to the habits:

New Habits need to be purified and refined before you surrender to them.

Your biggest obstacles are ignorance (triggers), egoism (complacency) and attachments (to pleasure of old habits).

Hope this helps you (and me as well).

Andi Says:

April 12th, 2008, 10:46 am

A good suggestion is to make it harder to do the procrastination. So if you procrastinate by going on the internet - disable the internet, change your routers password or do anything it takes to make it harder to get on the internet. Eventually you will think well if its so hard to do that procrastination there is no point me bothering. Sometimes you just have to force yourself.

James Says:

April 12th, 2008, 10:50 am

This is an excellent post, so many people cover what things to do to develop habits. I wished I’d thought of writing about things to NOT do :)

I especially agree about focusing on more than one habit. It’s important too to not work on an habit that you don’t particularly care about or have too high expectations on. For what it’s worth I’ve written a post covered how I applied habit changing advice to help me eat more healthily.

Shilpan | successsoul.com Says:

April 12th, 2008, 11:48 am

Leo -

Being an entrepreneur, so thinking on that line, I can say that these great points apply to “Why most businesses fail to succeed” as well. If you think at macro level, business success is a habit, it is a commitment and passion. If you are half-committed or quit prematurely, you may fail when success was just knocking on your door.

Great post.

Shilpan