Mark Twain once said, “To cease smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I’ve done it a thousand times.”
Changing bad habits into good habits takes time, effort, and energy, and it’s rarely a smooth process. The seven ‘R’s can help us on our journey of change:
Reminders: Set up prompts that remind you of your commitment. Create a screensaver on your phone with an important word, phrase, or symbol; put a sticky note on your bathroom mirror; write a note in your diary.
Record: Note down the costs of your bad habit and the benefits you hope to achieve from new habits.
Rewards: The new behaviour comes with its own rewards but you might want to incentivise this with rewarding yourself as you reach particular milestones on the journey to change.
Routines: If you get up every morning at the same time to exercise eventually that regular routine comes naturally and requires less willpower. Build a routine or ritual around your new behaviour so it becomes a regular part of your life.
Restructuring: Change your environment to support new habits. If you are seeking a healthier lifestyle hide or dispose of junk food and ensure the fridge and pantry are stocked with healthy alternatives.
Relationships: Can you find a kind, encouraging person to support you with your new behaviour? Check in with this person regularly to share how you’re doing. Is your new habit a shared activity you could do with a buddy and keep one another accountable?
Reflecting. Take a few moments each day to reflect on your progress; what you’re doing that’s working; what’s not working and what you can do more or less of to support change.
Success comes by making small changes, one step at a time.
