Let’s talk about creating the best version of yourself, one habit at a time.

First, though, we have to look more deeply at what a habit really is. A simple definition might be that a habit requires little or no effort or thought.

Having habits in place is a good thing because we don’t want to drain too much willpower each day. Willpower is finite, making it a resource we can use but not nearly as much as many of us use it.

So where do we start when putting habits into place? We start by identifying things we do each day and then adjusting them through habits to make them a little bit better.

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Once a habit is well established, tasks go from a “hard” to “easy” category, so now we have more willpower for hard things.

Categories of habits

There are 4 categories of habits: good/bad/old/new. And habits can change categories. For instance, a new habit over time becomes an old habit and makes room for new habits.

You’ll also notice that habits have a cumulative impact over long term. The impact comes from consistency. Consistency is essential. Never skip a day. This create momentum. It is worse to skip doing something than to do a terrible job of it. For those perfectionists out there, this is an important piece of the creating habits puzzle to accept.

Another realization when looking at habit change is to know that some people find it easy to add new things and others prefer to subtract things.

Motivation keeps you going when it’s tough. And it does get tough at times. This means it’s best to start small, become consistent, and increase at a manageable pace. That’s how you optimize for the finish line rather than starting line.

It can also help to have an accountability buddy. Consider this if you’re someone who makes changes more easily when you are held accountable.

The 6 kinds of habits

There are 6 different kinds of habits. It’s good to choose high priority habits so this list can help you decide which habits you want to create.

** Positivity habits—these focus on thinking about yourself and others in positive ways
** Health habits—healthy eating, good sleep, meditation, working out, etc
** Expansion habits—getting out of comfort zones, traveling more perhaps, or whatever stretches your particular comfort zones
** Organizational habits—keeping your environment clean, eliminating clutter, calendar scheduling, managing an inbox and workload
** Social habits—being on time, keeping commitments, eliminating people you no longer want in your life, staying in touch with important people
** Productivity habits—stop procrastinating, planning and goal setting, reflecting upon your day

In the beginning, habits need nurturing. Some questions to consider are how will it fit into your life, and can you do it regularly. Putting faith in the compounding power of small repeated actions flows more easily once you answer these questions.

How To Change: It’s All About Perception!

If you’ve tried to make changes and find it too difficult, maybe a change in perception will help.

First, define what you want your new belief to be. Example: “Washing dishes is enjoyable.” “I feel best when I’m productive.”

Once you know your new belief, you must collect evidence to support it. You also need to ignore evidence to the contrary.

It’s really Brain Training! You are recalibrating your brain by training to see the other side.

Keep a diary of evidence supporting your new belief. At the end of each day write down 5-10 examples that support your new belief. Keeping a diary encourages you all day long to look for supporting evidence. We often get what we look for, right?

Following these tips and steps I’ve talked about in this article DOES produce results! You’ll see results in a month and profound results in 3 months.

Begin today. Choose a habit, commit to it, and begin the journey.

Looking for more ways to create better habits?? You can rewire your brain and create habits that work for you instead of against you!