I Prioritize This 1 Habit; To Guarantee Lasting Change In My Way Of Thinking, Acting And Being
If you are like me, then you've tried many times to integrate a new habit into your daily life; only to fall short because you lost motivation, it didn't feel "relevant" to keep on doing it, or ............. (fill the blank with another excuse). In a next moment of inspiration, you would promise yourself the same, this time you were actually going to do it, until....
Sounds familiar?
When I truly desire change, I know by now that I have to prioritize 1 habit:
The habit of keeping any promise I make to myself.
If not, why bother even to start?
I know now that integrating new habits are never about just doing these habits, it is about the transformation I go through because of the habit(s). It is about creating lasting change in my way of thinking, behaving and being. And change only happens when I am persistently doing/being what I say I want to be doing/being.
In other words: I focus on keeping any promise I make to myself, instead of just the habit(s).
The benefits that I experience
Building Self trust: When I consistently follow through on the promises I make, I develop trust in myself and believe in my abilities. I am building credibility with myself.
Improving self-discipline: I am demonstrating (to myself) that I am capable of achieving my goals and making progress.
Achieving goals: No matter how tough it gets, I am overcoming anything that is in the way of my transformation and goals, because I am committed to keeping my promise.
To make sure that my promises are in alignment; I get clear on these 4 questions:
Why do I want to do this?
Is it an absolute 'Fuck Yes' and NOT a 'I think I should do this', 'I like the idea of doing it', or 'I want only the outcome (and not what it takes to change.)'
What are the specifics of my promise: What is the timeframe I commit to? What is the duration? etc.
Can I wholeheartedly say to myself: "I want to do this and I am going to... This is the promise I make to myself!"?
When I am clear and I make the promise, I know that there is nothing in the way of creating lasting change when I keep my promises!
To be honest it isn't always easy, but the benefits and the transformation are worth every temporary pain or struggle.
