– Dr. Latika Vaishak Shanbhag
1. Make a commitment: Think of 1 thing you wish to do in life then: Set Goal – Visualize – Commitment – do your efforts – be successful.
2. Star really small: Don’t try to do too much overnight and become overwhelmed. Solution: You must begin with an exceptionally manageable task and work up from there.
3. Find a trigger: A trigger is an event that boost you before the action of a habit. Solution: Set a time table for forming a habit and follow it like a machine. The best triggers are events which are already in a time table.
4. Seek positive support: Motivation is important to develop a new habit and encouragement from other people is the most important motivator. Solution: Find a group of friends who will support you. Find powerful quotes or movie songs that fire you up and remind you why it’s worth it.
5. Build up gradually: Set out a schedule of how you will increase time spent practicing your habit in the coming weeks. Solution: Increase a little more each week gradually. The key is to climb the peak slowly not overnight. Consider your attitude and time commitments and then plan.
6. Reward yourself: When you have successfully devoted some time to your new habit, give yourself a reward. Solution: Think of some small attractive rewards. It might me something you only let yourself do after your habit. Example: Listen to your favorite band. Take a nap.
7. Write down your plans: Put down on paper your trigger, your reward, who’s supporting you, why you’re committed, your schedule for increase and anything else you believe is relevant to your success. Solution: Focus on specifics.
8. Give it 8 weeks: 6-8 weeks of sticking to your schedule will be sufficient for the habit to begin to feel natural in your daily routine. Solution: Habits don’t change overnight, real efforts and perseverance are necessary.
9. Don’t take yourself too seriously: Learn to laugh at yourself if you do a mistake. If you take risk you might even fail. Solution: Failure is the 1st stepping stone of success. No one is born prefect.
10. Enjoy every moment: Celebrate the awesome fact that you are doing something to change your life. Solution: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure,” said Marianne Williamson.
