Changing Habits

Anyone have any good habit changing advice? I can't take self discipline so I prefer to keep my habits really simple, like a checklist of stuff to do. I use "effort" to shift into the "effortless". What do you think?

To get yourself started, you could try:

Sticker charts. They may seem silly, but they can help to physically show you that you are making progress. When I was changing my lifestyle to be more healthy, I really enjoyed putting smiley face stickers on my charts after completing exercises, making healthy food choices, etc. Simple pleasures are sometimes the best.

Incentives. Give yourself incentives to complete your tasks. For example, after completing a month of exercising three times per week, reward yourself with an afternoon at the beach. Use rewards that are appealing to you, but not sabotaging to whatever habit you are trying to change (so don't use a food reward for losing weight). Also, make the goal challenging for yourself, but neither unreasonable nor too easy. (A whole month of exercising might be too daunting to start with. You might need to scale it back to two weeks, then step it up as you are successful.)

Thanks Nautie! (It's so fun to say that )

Sticker charts huh... can you explain? Like, I have a chart for each day and need to track my progress by putting stickers on it?

You're welcome!

Yes, make a grid chart with the habits you want to track each day (or week, etc.). Place a sticker in the grid for each habit you followed that day. At the end of the week (or whatever period of time you are tracking) total up your results and award yourself appropriately. You might decide that if you remember to complete each task 5 out of 7 times the first week, you'll earn the reward. Adjust as you need to be challenged.

Eventually, after a several weeks, your new habits will be part of your normal routines and you won't need the chart anymore. And who knows, after that you may find yourself on a goal-setting kick and challenge yourself further!

Awesome!! I'm a-gonna do it!

I have lots of little habits I want to install though several of them are pretty much installed already. I do daily exercise (however much my body wants, but I make sure to at least step out of the door), 5 minutes minimum mindfulness meditation (may raise that soon, it's not that challenging to do consistently), and about 15 minutes of focusing on manifesting my desires and changing my vibration.

The new habits I want to install is looking for a decent amount of time into the distance every day to cure my eyesight, hugging a tree every day (great for grounding), and learning 2 words of a foreign language every day.

Let's see how this goes, love to you!!

I saw a great little article today about embracing change in your life. Might be some good inspiration: http://zenhabits.net/elements-of-change/

A Little Nautie wrote:I saw a great little article today about embracing change in your life. Might be some good inspiration: http://zenhabits.net/elements-of-change/

Thanks, that was a cool article. I like Leo Babauta