Change a Habit: Want to be Awesome at it? Avoid these 2 Silly Reasons

“It is a misty January 5.30am, and a very enthusiastic John is ready for jogging. He is determined to reduce fifteen kilograms which is one of his New Year resolutions. Usually, he used to get up at 7.30am just thirty minutes before his office taxi arrival. A week later another morning, John is still asleep. He is back to his routine.” Have you ever been in a similar situation? At many times, many of us start like John with excessive enthusiasm but fail miserably to change a habit.

You may check out at Amazon: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

Two reasons for the failure to change a habit

• Excessive motivation but no patience

One of the main reasons is that we get over – motivated and try to change multiple habits at a time so that we can become a better person quickly. But most of the time, this excessive enthusiasm won’t last more than a week, we get burned out. Instead, it is better we focus on the successful completion of a habit change, then start to fix the rest. One of the key factors in succeeding to change a habit is the patience to stay focused in the new practice till we establish it.

• Too Overwhelming

Sometimes, it is too overwhelming to think about sticking to this new behavior every day for the rest of your life. The more you think about the change as something permanent, the more the chances of you slipping it. What if your commitment to this change, is only temporary? What if you say to yourself let’s choose this new behavior for next 30 days. If it is not beneficial, you can go back to the old habit, right?

Here you can use the 30-day trial method, a powerful, yet simple method followed by many people to create a daily habit.

30-day trial method

Remember, your commitment to new behavior is only 30 days. First, Mark your calendar your freedom day, 30th day. You still need to have a bit of self-discipline and commitment, but far less than a permanent change. Start your new habit and your countdown to freedom.

Once you complete the 30-days trial, it will be easy for you to establish and maintain the new behavior as a habit. You will have 30 days of success in overcoming the addiction of old habit behind you to motivate you to continue with the new habit. Also, you will be in a better place having a useful feedback to make an informed decision to quit or proceed with the practice.

For creating a lasting personal improvement such as to change a habit, consistency and patience are essential over initial enthusiasm. Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare. Slow and steady wins the race!