A Guide To Habit Mastery And Controlling Your Destiny

Your habits will decide your destiny. They will decide whether you end up achieving your goals and living the life you desire or if you fall short.

The reason habits are so important is that they operate in our lives as an autopilot operates in an airplane. They are what keep us on the right path or lead us astray when we are busy doing other things.

Almost all of us have bad habits we would like to discard and positive habits we would like to adopt but very few people are able to master their habits.

The reason people fail to take control of their habits is that they approach the task in an unstructured and impractical way. Read the following paragraphs with close attention because they hold the key to mastering your habits and your life.

Being unable to control your habits, being a victim to your desires does not make you a bad or less valuable person. It simply means that you lack the specific strategies that would enable you to master your habits.

It's very important that you realize that not being able to discard bad habits is no more a value judgment on your worth as a person as you inability to play a piano sonata.

Training, attention and focused practice are required to gain any new non-trivial skill, and habit mastery is no different. So throw off any notions you have about weakness or lack of self discipline and focus on learning and practicing the required skills.

Involve other people in your quest to stop smoking, lose, weight, become fit, grow your business or whatever you goal happens to be. Involving other people will make you more accountable and provide you with needed encouragement.

Also you may find that if you come out and explain to some of the people around you about your struggle for self improvement you will feel a weight lifted from your shoulder.

You will also no doubt find out that they too have similar ambitions.

Choose a single habit you wish to adopt or discard and focus solely on that habit for a month. Note everyday whether you have been successful or not in that twenty four hour period. Work hard to achieve success three days in a row. And grow from there.

Change the language you use to describe your behavior. If you are attempting to stop smoking for example you may find yourself saying "I need a cigarette" or "I could really do with a smoke".

Instead force yourself to say "I'm stronger than cigarettes" and "I'm choosing not to smoke".

Think about that for a moment. Every time a pang of desire hits and you hear yourself about to say "I need a cigarette" you deliberately say "I'm stronger than cigarettes".

It's clear that simply saying the two different phrases evokes a different emotional reaction. Use useful language.

Make practical changes that will make it easier for you to adopt the new habit or abandon the unwanted habit. If you wish to stop eating junk food for example you could make sure that all loose change is removed from your car.

If seeing coins in your car prompts you to think about dashing to a fast food restaurant make sure they are never there.

If you wish to exercise every day start putting your running shoes and exercise clothes at the end of your bed so they are the first thing you see when you wake.

Think of as many of these small practical changes as you can. Each one will make the chances of you succeeding a little higher.

Expect failures along the way to ultimate success. Expect to fall off the horse but be sure you get back on again.

Find things to fill the holes that removing bad habits will expose. For example if you are a comfort eater and find yourself heading to the fridge for ice cream when you feel down make sure you plan what your alternative comfort will be.

Perhaps you might try some low fat rice crackers, perhaps you will learn to enjoy a health drink. At first these alternatives will seem like a pale imitation of your old habit but with time you will come to appreciate them

Congratulate yourself on success. If you can go twenty four hours without smoking or without eating unhealthy foods make sure you give yourself a mental high five.

Even tell your friends and family about your success. Make it easy to succeed because every little victory will make you stronger.

Most importantly you must realize that you can and will succeed if you don't give up. Get started today.