Monday, September 21, 2009

What to do with our Old Habits?

What to do with our Old Habits?

If they are giving us great results obviously we need to keep them,but if they just take us in circles we definitely need to change them...Make sens doesn't it?Yes, it does but not that simple.Most people need help with that.


First we need to ask ourselves if our good old habits/belief still serve us, and the only way we can get a good answer to this question is if we have a written Purpose,Vision,Goals so we actually know where we are going.

How are we going to get there if we don't know where we are going right?

I was asked today: So how do you decide what new habit you want to create?

Very important, we got to ask ourselves the right questions...

If we ask ourselves the wrong questions we will always get the wrong answers.

  • Where am I going in life?(What do I want to achieve?)
  • What is the one habit I can add/change today that will take me toward my Purpose faster?
  • What is the one thing that I don't feel good about and just sits on my shoulders?

Example:Couple of years ago I realized I was doing exactly what I used to hate my mother doing...nagging people I loved (we copy our parents behaviour and we call it a HABIT)

Wasn't giving me great results aider....

So recognized I was doing it - Made a conscious decision I wanted to change that - It was hard work at first to just mind my own business but trough repetition I changed/created a new HABIT.

Obviously this was one example but we can apply the same method to anything in life,to our business,our health,relationships etc.

Repetition is the key to changing any Habit.

We created our old Habits trough repetition they become automatic, and the same way we create new ones.

What New Habit did you create?

LH

5 comments:

  1. Lorena - your enthusiasm and energy is so infectious. We all cling to things that make us feel secure ( habits). They are so hard to change,especially as you say learned from our parents.But with effort and encouragement from someone like you to support us, we can all make small, but signficant differences to our lives! Thank you!

    Dorothy

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  2. Lorena, interesting post we do pick up habits from those closest to us and it is good practice to continually assess ourselves to see if we are carrying good or bad habits and living the life "we want to lead" - As you say forming new habits is about repetition. I like to often reflect on what habits I am forming, ensuring that daily action is shaped by higher aims, in the knowledge that we reap what we sow.

    And as Dorothy says, Lorena...your ensouragement and enthusiasm are contagious. Thank you

    Colin
    http://www.wisdomnote.com

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  3. Lorena, so much of who we believe we are is wrapped in the habits, behaviors and beliefs of our parents. Realizing we are unique unto ourselves and shedding what no longer serves us is enlightening. It also becomes a dynamic way of life as we are constantly changing while growing fully into who we truly are.

    Thought provoking post, thanks

    Teresa
    http://teresamarks.com

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  4. As always, it is awareness that gets us out of trouble. As you point out in your examples here, Lorena. You need to become aware of the habits that are in place so as to change them if they are not serving you well. Habit is our way of not having to rethink everything at every step of the way. It is a good thing when the habits we have are taking us where we want to go. Thanks for a good reminder that we still have a choice to change, however engrained or old our habits may be!

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  5. Thank you Lorena for keeping the power of habits in our minds. While we tend to focus on bad habits and how to change them, we should also focus on our good habits and the joy they bring.We can study good habits and thus see a pattern that will guide us as we work to change our troubling habits. Thanks again and I look forward to more of your thoughts and teachings.

    Terry Allison
    http://Twitter.com/Terry_Allison

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