What do you want out of life that you don’t have now? How would you like to see your life different?
Perhaps you want to be more productive so that you can get more done each day and get closer to your dreams and goals. Or maybe you aspire to be more successful as an entrepreneur. Perhaps you want to live a more healthy lifestyle or spend more time with your family or friends.
Or maybe you need to break a bad habit such as chronic complaining or negativity. Whenever you attempt to drop a habit you must replace it with a new habit in order to truly break the unwanted one.
You need to replace one habit with another if you intend to break one.
Steps to Building a New Habit
Write all of your goals out in a list. No matter how big or small the goal (or dream or hope) is write them all out in a list. At this point all that matters is getting it all on paper.
Give each a number, ranking it’s importance. Now is time to focus on which are most important goals or dreams on the list. Don’t worry about what you feel like “should” be the most important, only focus on what is really most important to you: your highest priority. What is one person’s most important priority may not be another’s. If you want this to work out then you need to be honest with yourself!
Break the most important ones down into habits. You can look at your goal and know what you want the outcome to be but at this point what is important is how you are going to get there. It’s doubtful that it will take one easy change to meet your goal, if it was that easy you would have done it already! Break it down into steps that you can take and have success at. Something that you are willing to do daily for a month since it takes about 28 days to build a new habit.
Decide what habit you can implement that will allow you to bring this goal to life. It may not be practical or feasible at this point to implement your most important one and that’s okay. You can focus on that another month, the important thing is to choose one that you CAN do, one that you know you will have success building. From there you can work on new successes.
It is much easier to continue on the path of success when you already have success that’s why it’s important for you to start with something that you know you will be able to have success in.
Join with others who are also building a new habit! Commit to joining the Habit Building Challenge in January! This challenge is all about coming together with others, getting ideas and inspiration to build a positive new habit to start our year off right!
Don’t miss any updates or other important information:
Subscribe to the Habit Building Challenge e-mail list!
Click the button below to learn more about the challenge:
To Your Success,
photo credit: jenny downing
It is often difficult to form a new habit because of the “change effect” in our lives.
But for most, if they can stick with the new habit for at least 2 weeks than it is like second nature.
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:26 pm
Hi Justin,
It really is difficult to form a new habit and that is part of my reasoning for creating the Habit Building Challenge. Going at it with others will help us to keep going and have more success!
Stacy
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It’s so cool that you can really change habits to create all sorts of good things, whether in work or in your personal life! I make lists all the time Stacy to help me with my anxiety. i start with the easy things and then work up to tackling the harder things.
I agree with Justin above as well. By sticking with a new habit for 2 dozen times or so, you re-train your brain.
Thanks again for a great post!
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Hi Jill,
I find lists to be helpful in getting things done too. When I was in school I was really organized, I often had color coded lists to keep me ahead of the game!
Stacy
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Have you heard of Bashar? He defines habit as “something you keep doing that you don’t know you are doing. When you are aware that you have the habit, it’s no longer a habit but a choice.”
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Hi Jim,
I haven’t heard that quote, thank you for sharing!
Stacy
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I think that finding a support group or environment is the most important thing for your success because really people are a product of their environment no matter how you put it
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:28 pm
Hi Ella,
I think so too! That is how the Habit Building Challenge will help people to find more success in January!
Stacy
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Hey Stacy,
I love that you pointed out that in order to break a habit, you have to replace it with a new one. I find, it’s nearly impossible to STOP doing something, but much easier to START doing something. I never like to move away from anything but always move toward something new. And if I make sure that I line up my energy with what I want, I’ll usually be inspired to form that new habit, making it not only easy, but enjoyable.
Huge hugs!
Melody
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Hi Melody,
I agree with you, that’s why I believe that we need to replace an unwanted habit with a new one or it won’t go away.
Thanks!
Stacy
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Hi Stacy…We really have to change some of our habits that are not resulting to better life…I agree with you…
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Thanks, Chessa!
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I sometimes find it very difficult to build any new habit, though I know it’s quite beneficial for me. I think generally we human don’t like to change our lifestyle, we’re quite happy whatever is going on daily basis.
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:35 pm
Aanchal,
I think the aversion to change is a huge reason that we have such a hard time with new habits – but at the same time what makes them so important!
Stacy
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I find, it’s nearly impossible to stop doing something, but much easier to start doing something.
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:35 pm
Jasmine,
That is very true! If we don’t start something new the old will persist!
Stacy
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Awesome! Its truly awesome post, I have got much clear idea regarding from this article.
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:35 pm
Thank you, Kristina!
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It’s not easy changing a habit especially when you become attached to it too much. How can I join in your abit Building Challenge? Is it a personal interaction or just virtually? Thanks!
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:37 pm
Hi Angel,
I will be posting here on the blog every day in January with a new activity. I also have an email list that you can join for additional inspiration and reminders, the link to the email list is in this post at the bottom if you’re interested.
Stacy
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Good advices. These are milestone for good life.By making chunks of task,management problems are solved.
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Stacy Reply:
December 2nd, 2011 at 3:37 pm
Breaking larger goals into manageable habits helps us to have much more success than we would otherwise have!
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I sometimes find it very difficult to build any new habit like wokeup early morning ,though I know it’s quite beneficial for me and my family members.because if i wake 7 o clock than i will go my office at 9 o clock…
but i do not change my habit what can i do to change my habit….
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Stacy Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 4:09 pm
In the month of January I will be hosting a Habit Building Challenge and each day I will provide an activity to help build a new habit. If you join you will be able to discuss your process with others who are also building a new habit!
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If we observe the life of human beings,we can easily conclude that human always change their habits and sometimes they needs to change their habits but this change should accomplish human principles.
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Stacy Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 4:09 pm
We do need to change our habits to change our life!
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Hi Stacey, I’m building positive habits to stop me from procrastinating so much. It’s hard, especially when you the one making all the decisions. But I set myself little goals each day and just make myself take action. Don’t always succeed, but I’m certainly see a positive change in my approach to things. Onwards and upwards
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Stacy Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 4:22 pm
Hi Mena,
Yes it is hard when we do it on our own. Having others along with us makes success feel much more reachable! If you would like to join us in the habit building challenge next month you will find that true!
Stacy
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Mena Reply:
December 11th, 2011 at 2:31 pm
You know what Stacy, I might just give that a go
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Stacy Reply:
December 12th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
That would be great!
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I love the idea of working towards habbits rather than focusing on a goal that might be a long way off, it seems less daunting!
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Stacy Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 4:29 pm
It’s very true, great point! Thank you for sharing!
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I’ve always heard that it takes an average of 30 days of consistency to create a new habit. In my case, I find that it does take at least a few weeks of consistent action to form a new habit.
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Stacy Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 4:29 pm
I’ve typically heard 28 days but I don’t think that there is any magic number. But if we can all work for a month on the habit building challenge we will either have a new habit or be very close!
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Hi Stacy…We really have to change our bad habits but I thank you for sharing this post to us…
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Stacy Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 5:22 pm
Allaina,
The best way to change a bad habit is to replace it with a good one!
Stacy
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Hi Stacy,
Your tips here are really simple yet brilliant! Many of us complain about the bad things that happen in our lives or the problems that we always need to face each day. Writing down all our goals in a list and organizing them according to their importance is a very great way to sort out our priorities. Breaking them down into doable bits can make any huge task get accomplished no matter how tedious and arduous it can be. Thanks for sharing this motivational post!
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Stacy Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 6:55 pm
Thank you, Felicia! I’m glad that the post was inspiring!
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As I’m trying to reach my goals, I’m also starting to develop a new habit for myself. Actually, I find it hard to avoid all those old habits because I already get used to it. However, with the help of some people who kept on supporting me that everything will be fine soon, I could feel that it intense emotion that everything is possible.
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Stacy Reply:
December 14th, 2011 at 1:05 pm
Old habits are tough to break but the most effective way to break them is to create a new one to replace it!
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It is very important to avoid trying to change many habits at once. If you plan on exercising more, quitting smoking, stop partying, eat less junk, and paying off your bills all at once it is going to be very difficult. Once one breaks they all will then you miss your trip to the gym, get home, eat a box of oreo’s followed by a cigarette and a martini with another cigarette.
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Stacy Reply:
December 13th, 2011 at 2:52 pm
Yes, that’s a very true point! Focusing on one thing at a time is a surer path to success!
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