Hard work is the secret to success. Along with hard work, good habits are essential for success in life. Good habits can make us healthy, wealthy and wise. The more good habits you have, the higher your chances of success. They are, in fact, short cuts to success. Here, we outline a few points which, if practiced with dedication and punctuality, can help you develop habits of your choice.
Have patience. A habit can't materialize overnight. Days, sometimes even months of practice are necessary for proper development of habits. Be patient and keep trying so the habit has time to evolve. Remember that hard work is not the key ingredient for developing a new habit; patience and repetition are the most important ingredients.
Practice repetition. In order for an activity to develop into a habit, it has to be repeated a large number of times. Research claims that any activity repeated for 21 days slowly becomes a habit. It's not that habits need a large amount of effort and hard work to be formed. Habits take time to develop because the activity has to be repeated over and over again for it to be stored in our subconscious mind and hence become a habit.
Tell people about your goal. Tell people around you about the new habit you are going to cultivate. They can help you accomplish your goal. For example, each time you unconsciously break the new habit, they will point out your mistake and you can correct yourself. You also want to be seen as a "man of your word" among others. Therefore, you will subconsciously avoid breaking the new habit in front of them once you have announced your new goal.
Develop small habits first. Try forming small habits that require less effort before attempting to develop larger habits. Once you develop a new habit, your confidence improves and hence you can face newer, tougher challenges with more confidence. Attempting to cultivate tough habits in the beginning may lead to frustration.
One habit at a time. Having a long list of habits you want to accomplish is fine. However, see to it that you don't attempt to realize everything at once. Take up one simple habit which you think is the most important now and follow the steps above. Once you have formed a habit, take up the next one and accomplish it.
Adapt gradually to the new habit. Don't make a steep change in your present lifestyle to adapt to the new habit. If you presently drink five cups of coffee a day and want to stop drinking it, then start drinking four cups a day this week, followed by three the following week and so on. Steep changes in your lifestyle may lead to some health problems. Be patient and gradual while developing new habits.
Visualize your life with the new habit. Imagine a few times a day how different your life would be with the new habit. Imagine the rewards you are going to reap once your new habit has been formed. Think about the health benefits you are going to have with the new habit. These images will make your mind eager to adopt the new habit and hence it will be easier and faster to form the habit.
By practicing the above steps, good habits can be formed and bad habits can be removed. Aristotle said the following about habits: We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit.
