Develop Good Habits in 7 Simple Steps

Humans are creatures of habit; therefore, developing good habits should be simple - right? Well, not always. 

The problem is that we get very comfortable doing things the same way daily. We often absentmindedly stick to a daily routine without considering its consequences or effectiveness. Why change?

Unfortunately, not all of our habits are healthy or good. If we are in the habit of coming home after work each day and reaching for an alcoholic drink to relax instead of getting on the treadmill to let off steam, it will adversely affect our health.

Or, if we tend to snack on chips and drink soda pop while watching television in the evening instead of munching on veggies and sipping on fruit juice, it will ultimately lead to poor health.

If we are in the habit of smoking to relieve stress or take our frustrations out on others, we must recognize these as habits worth changing or eliminating. So, where do we begin?

7 Seven Simple Steps to Develop Good Habits

1. Identify the habit. As mentioned, most of the time, we are no longer conscious of our habits, good or bad, so the first thing we need to do is become aware. If that cough has been worsening, or if we become winded after walking up a few stairs, a bad habit (smoking, sedentary lifestyle) or a lack of a good habit (exercise) is likely to be blamed. Our finances may be in disarray, which means that we've been in the bad habit of spending more than we earn or not practicing the good habit of maintaining a budget and sticking to it. It's time to examine our habits!

 2. Make the decision, and then the commitment, to change. Of course, this is easier said than done. How often have we said to ourselves, "Yes, I should exercise more and eat better. Not to worry, I'll get around to it sooner or later?" 

Unfortunately, procrastinating makes it harder to change a bad habit. The longer you put off taking action, especially where health is concerned, the unhealthier you or the situation will get. A conscious commitment is necessary because that's what it takes to get the wheels of motion in action.

3. Discover your triggers and obstacles. You need to know your triggers; you will set yourself up for failure if you are unprepared for the inevitable obstacles. You must be aware of your current habits to improve upon them. In moments of weakness and vulnerability, we all need support or a release from our frustrations. Reaching for alcohol, drugs, over-eating, or over-medicating is not the answer.

If an unpleasant incident occurs at work or a messy traffic altercation occurs on the way home, you must find a healthy alternative to your usual way of dealing with it. We all have bad days, but we need not resort to unhealthy habits to alleviate the stress. Likewise, we cannot let boredom, anger, or anxiety trigger bad habits either. Look for healthy ways of dealing with triggers and obstacles.

 4. Devise a plan. Benjamin Franklin had an excellent strategy for overcoming and replacing bad habits with good ones. He developed a process whereby he listed 13 virtues he felt were necessary in his life and then worked on them.

Franklin focused on one virtue per week for 13 weeks. By the end of each week, he felt he had mastered the bad habit, so he proceeded to the next one the following week. 

During this process, he kept a journal of his success with the virtues. Since some of the virtues helped facilitate the acquisition of others, he put them in a particular order, beginning with temperance because "it tends to procure that coolness and clearness of head, which is so necessary where constant vigilance was to be kept up."  

This strategy will work well for anyone trying to establish a new good habit—vigilance is needed to ensure you stick with it! After temperance, he worked on silence because knowledge could be best obtained "by the use of the ears than of the tongue."

 Franklin had rhyme, reason, and purpose for every virtue. He figured that developing good habits and keeping order would free him up for what he wanted to accomplish. Once it became habitual, his resolve would help him focus on implementing all the other virtues.

Here, for the fun of it, is Benjamin Franklin's list of virtues. You can devise a similar list to help you incorporate good habits into your lifestyle.

 The List of Virtues which Benjamin Franklin incorporated into his life: 

1. Temperance - Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

2. Silence - Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.

3. Order - Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.

4. Resolution - Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

5. Frugality - Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

6. Industry - Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

7. Sincerity - Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and if you speak, speak accordingly.

8. Justice - Wrong none by causing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

9. Moderation - Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

10. Cleanliness - Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.

11. Tranquility - Be not disturbed at trifles or accidents common or unavoidable.

12. Chastity - Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.

13. Humility - Imitate Jesus and Socrates. 

5. Employ visualization and affirmations. Visualization and affirmations are great for integrating the new habit into your routine. While visualization is a powerful motivational tool and energizer, affirmations program the subconscious with the right mindset to establish a new habit. Together, they allow you to feel and imagine yourself carrying out the correct behaviors, making it easier to adopt the new habit. Indeed, developing good habits is more accessible when employing visualization and affirmations.

 6. Enlist support from family and friends. Let people know what you're trying to accomplish. This way, they will understand if you want to pass up the desert or go for a walk instead of stopping at the pub on the way home. When your friends know you are serious about changing a bad habit into a good one, not only will they help you steer away from temptations, they will cheer you on and give you moral support. We all need support to achieve our goals! 

 7. Find healthy ways to reward yourself. One of the reasons we develop many bad habits in the first place is because they make us feel good, even if it's temporary. The experience of feeling good is meant to soothe or placate us when we're stressed, discouraged, or just plain out of sorts. For example, you might overeat and feel good while doing it, but then you feel twice as bad afterward. The same goes for smoking or drinking too much. While you're in the act, you feel relaxed and trouble-free; however, afterward, you feel remorse and vow to quit - soon.  

So, to minimize falling off the wagon and slipping back into old, detrimental habits, reward yourself when you've done well. Treat yourself to a new book, a movie, a concert, or exercise equipment. If you're short on cash, visit a friend you haven't seen for a while, go to the downtown art gallery, or enjoy a skinny latte. 

The tremendous benefit of developing good habits is that after doing them repeatedly, they soon become automatic. Anything you do for a long while and consistently enough eventually becomes a habit; once it does, you no longer have to put much effort into it. Such is the beauty of developing good habits! 

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