By starting a revolution.
The personal kind. The kind where you challenge that bad habit every single day. You resist it. You question the hold it has over you. You fight it. One step at a time. Today. Tomorrow. The rest of the week. All month long. The month after that. And the month after that one.
To keep your personal revolution going, you also start talking to yourself differently.
You put an end to saying things like, I can’t stop doing this! It’s impossible to quit! I am weak! I will never get out of this!
Instead of the negative self-talk, you switch the language you use by saying things like, Why shouldn’t I try to stop doing this? What’s holding me back? How can I prove to myself that I can be strong? How can I get out of this?
And finally, to start seeing results of this new way of thinking, you’ll need to take action. A revolution isn’t necessarily something abrupt that takes 24 hours to complete. It’s a series of steps that you plan carefully and then go through, one by one.
Here are 5 steps to ensure that you stay on track with your personal revolution against the bad habit in your life.
- STEP 1. Give yourself some time to think if there’s something hiding behind your “I can’t!” Maybe it’s the fear of not being able to do something successfully, or not knowing how to stay away from things you know aren’t good for you, or feeling OK to stay in your comfort zone, or not having enough self-discipline to get out of it.
- STEP 2. Ask yourself why you are feeling so much resistance. Be honest. What are the thoughts and feelings you’re experiencing right now? Is there fear of any kind, a need to distract yourself because you’re avoiding something, or is there some other benefit you believe you’re getting by keeping the bad habit? Find out what it is so you can do something about it.
- STEP 3. Think how a habit change can benefit you. It can be truly a life-changing experience! For example, you can win over the fear that’s been following you for a long time. You can lead a healthier life. You can reach a goal that matters to you by getting all obstacles out of the way. Not to mention how great you’ll feel once you put the bad habit behind you!
- STEP 4. Ask the question, Why shouldn’t I try to stop doing this? Then observe how your brain reacts to the question. What is the first thing that comes to mind? Do you immediately look for obstacles if you try something different, do the words give you courage to act differently, do you feel you have more freedom to contemplate what a positive outcome will bring you?
- STEP 5. Consider the future for a moment. What would your life be like if you decided to challenge more things that no longer serve you? Which fears are holding you back from reaching an important goal? How can you respond to those fears by keeping an open dialogue with yourself? How can you be more supportive and encouraging every day? By answering these types of questions you can teach yourself to deal with obstacles like this one and take ownership of your life, one step at a time.
✏️📖 I created a workbook on this topic called Train Your Brain to Break Bad Habits. It includes 7 steps to change a habit you don’t want to keep in your life any more, and tips to replace it with a positive habit. You can learn more about it here.
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