2 Ways to Make Habits Work for You. Part 2. - By: Lynn Zingel

2 Ways to Make Habits Work for You. Part 2.

Sow an act and you reap a habit,
Sow a habit and you reap a character.
Sow a character and you reap a destiny.
- Charles Reade.

Good habits are hard to form, but easy to live with. Bad habits are easy to from, but hard to live with. Good habits are the key to all success. Bad habits are the unlocked door to failure. Good habits are hard to break. Of course once you establish a good habit, it is even HARDER to break.

What is a habit.
If you ask this of people, nine out of ten people will tell you that a habit is a negative action that people do over and over again, like smoking, or procrastination, or eating too much. Bad habits gets all the "flak".

Your positive habits program will be built on two foundation habits that you will learn.
Foundation habits are the two habits that support all your other habits. Think about how a house is built. First, a concrete foundation is poured . The roof supported by the walls and windows need a firm foundation for the house to stand. Any defects in the foundation is like building your house "upon the sand", and in time it will fall down.
These foundation habits are - Visualization and journaling or keeping a log of your progress.

1.Visualization.
Thoughts! Everything you or anyone else has ever done since the beginning of time, began first with a thought. Your thoughts have amazing power to create and re create who you are.
The principle of positive visualization is that we tend to become exactly what we imagine ourselves to be. It is only the first step to success, not the last. People who do nothing but visualise success are just dreamers. There needs to be action as well. Therefore visualization is the use of our imagination. It is how the mind communicates with the body. You can't talk to your hand and tell it to heal itself, but studies have shown that it will heal significantly faster if we picture the wound shrinking and healing.

You must see your goals clearly and specifically before you can set out with them. Hold them in your mind (visualisation) until they become second nature.
-Les Brown 1945 American Speaker Author Trainer Motivator Lecturer

*Know exactly what habit you want to establish and give yourself the space to get started properly.
*Set up a definite plan and hold the implementing of the plan foremost in your vision.
*Do not allow yourself to depart in the slightest from from your original plan unless it is to become part of your new habit.
Now you have visualised the new you that you want to be. You have chosen a destination that is clear in your mind. It might be - loosing weight , getting more exercise, etc. This brings us to the next foundational habit.

2. Journaling or keeping a log.
It is here that we will daily log our trip. Here you will daily detail the facts about your trip going towards your new habit. Keep the log short and concise. As you keep your log bear in mind that it takes approximately 21 days to turn a repetitive action into a habit. You will use this timetable as the length of days that you must repeat an action in order to make it a permanent positive habit. Refer to this often and use it as a constant guide and reminder to keep building your new habit.

Be consistent. Keep repeating the same procedure in the same way at the same time and in the same manner, time after time, until the tendency to repeat asserts itself and the newly-formed
habit takes over.

Make your habits work for you. Discard the harmful ones and replace them with those that will be your loyal friends You can do it. It may take a little time and effort on your part, but it will be worth it.

About the Author

Lynn Zingel is the author and editor of www.icando.co.nz. Here you will find words of encouragement, inspiration, and challenge to change whatever you focus your mind upon.

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