How to Make Habits Stick

Your habits determine the kind of lifestyle you’ll live in and determine your future years from now. When we look back, our habits are the things that shape us to who we are today.

“First, it’s an intention. Then a behavior. Then a habit. Then a practice. Then second nature. Then it’s simply, who you are.”

– High Performance Coach, Brendon Burchard

Highly successful people have habits that keep them growing and successful day after day.

The two types of habits:

Comfort habits

These are the habits you lean back on when there's a need to feel safe, secure and protected. These may be the habits you turn to when the day is rough, when people are mean to you, or on days you need more tender loving care.

Comfort habits can lead to positive and negative results. An example of comfort habits leading to positive emotions would be to get support from a friend when making difficult decisions. A comfort habit leading to negative consequences would be binge eating ice cream after a difficult day at work.

Growth habits

These are habits which push you out of your comfort zone, challenge you to the next level. These are habits successful people practice to stay at the top of their game. An example would be athletes going to the gym daily, choosing to be stringent on their diet plans and persevering through difficult conversations to reaching deeper, meaningful relationships and career success.

The Secret to Making a Habit Stick

The mind learns by repetition.

I’m sure you know that repeating the same set of instructions to a child increases their ability to retain information. Remember the time when you first learnt to brush your teeth? You practice it day and night, and by the age of 10 you’re familiar with the steps and no longer need to consciously think about it or need help with brushing your teeth.

Likewise, as an adult, when we repeat patterns of action daily, we form a habit which ultimately makes us who we are. 

Whenever you learn a new skill or think a new thought, your mind forms a new connection, called: neural pathway. Each time you repeat the same thought or skill, a specific neural pathway gets activated and strengthened, eventually becoming part of your internal programming. Soon that habit happens without much thought.

When there is lack of repetition, a neural pathway gets weaker and is possibly replaceable by a stronger neural pathway. 

Think of it like going to the gym: going to the gym consistently, doing your reps makes your muscles stronger. Yet, if you stop working out, the muscles may become loose and limp.

Choose to think thoughts that are helpful to you, incorporate healthy habits to improve your energy levels and daily motivation. Practicing growth habits keeps you physically and mentally healthy in the long run. Doing so helps you function with a clearer mind and a healthier body.

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