Stanford University recently did a lengthly study in behavior change. All of us have things that we wish we could change about ourselves. Have you ever wondered why you cannot change the negative habits in your life? Join me as we discuss the top 10 mistakes to behavior change. This will open your eyes to why you have struggled for so long. It will be more than just an analysis into what you have been doing wrong but we will also discuss how you can change your life and change your habits for good.
Mistake #1: Relying on Willpower for Long Term Change
It is human nature to think that if we just try a bit harder or if only we had more self-discipline or willpower that all of this would somehow be easier. So, we just grit our teeth determine to try harder, listen to motivational songs on our jog and try to impose a stricter schedule for ourselves. Only to get discouraged because our schedule is not restricting and doesn’t allow for any fun or enjoyment in life. Are you with me? Can you tell that I have struggled with those same challenges?
How to Overcome This
So, how exactly do we overcome this temptation to just try harder? The answer is to just imagine that willpower does not exist. Stop putting so much undue pressure on yourself. Don’t you see this happening a lot around New Years? There are more people at the local gym and jogging along the side of the road that week more than any other.
The problem lies in the fact that will use our willpower to the extreme. The pendulum swings from being a coach potato to getting up at 5am for a two and a half hour jog. We feel the pain so much that we want instant results so we go to the extreme be ramping up our willpower. Have you noticed that will never work? We hate the experience so much that the next day we have zero desire to do that again.
Image by Geff Rossi via Flickr
That is why I have dedicated this blog to taking simple steps on a directed path. I believe that we can reach the goals and change the habits one baby step at a time. Willpower alone will just not work. Here are some evaluation questions for you to consider:
- Am I extreme in my approach to make changes in my life and my habits?
- Am I focused on willpower alone to change the negative habits in my life?
- What is a simple step that I can take that does not require a tremendous amount of will power (example: walk 15 minutes in the morning instead of jogging 2 miles)?
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- 5 of My Favorite Motivational Quotes (simplelifehabits.com)
