This is me breaking out of my shell a few years back 😉
1. Understand That Sheer Will Power Alone Will Not Change Your Bad Habits.
Most likely, you have been blaming yourself because you have already tried and exerted lots of effort to change, only to find yourself repeating the same bad habits. When you realize that mental exertion is not going to help by itself, you stop the vicious cycle and find new ways that will work.
2. Discover the “Why”
If you have a strong enough “why”, then any change is possible. Search deep and ask yourself what the short term and long term consequences will be if you don’t change your habit. Then ask yourself how you’re going to feel once you break the habit. You just gave the little angel some major ammo!!
3. Associate the Bad Habit to Increased Pain
There is a part of us that keeps us doing the bad habits because it has linked pleasure to the habit in some way. Even though you feel guilt and remorse, the feeling of pleasure is still greater than the feeling of pain. For example, if you absolutely knew that a certain action would cause instant death, would you do it? Obviously not, unless you were going to commit suicide…. and the reason is because the level of pain associated with death is so much greater. In other words, you have just given yourself tons of leverage.
4. Focus On Changing the Desire, not the Action.
The only way of winning the “fight” is to not think of it as a “fight” at all. No longer are you fighting against something, you are simply training your brain to think in a different way. Remember it is the associations that keep you trapped in your shell.
5. Implement Healthy Substitutions
Never use force to make yourself do or not do something. It is always short term because you are fighting against a subconscious desire. However, learning to desire and actually enjoy the substitute instead is a powerful way to train your brain to think in a different way. You can also reward yourself when you make the correct choice.
There's A Whole New World That Just Opened Up
6. Get Professional Positive Reinforcement
You need people in your life that are supportive of your decision to change. This could mean new friends or reducing the time with people who are holding you back. It also means getting professional help. And while this list is a great start for overcoming habits, if you really want to overcome your bad habits for good, then Lee Milteer’s 21 Day Habit Busting Program is the one you want. There are tons of testimonials and a free sample audio & chapter are included.
7. Change Your Mental Chatter
Did you know our actions stem from our thoughts. If change how we think, we actually change how we act. One way to help reprogram the negative thinking that has led us to take negative actions is to: a) wear a rubber band around one wrist and snap it each time you catch yourself thinking a negative thought. Then immediately replace that thought with the positive opposite. Then b) Keep repeating affirmations that support your desired goals. Repetition is essential in training your subconscious brain to think differently. One Self Confidence Program that has proven effective is the one by Steve Jones and Brad Yates. They have been combining EFT with hypnosis and clients have experience astounding results.
8. Visualize & Feel The End Result
There are many books about visualization. But in a nutshell, you need to see and feel yourself succeeding. Remember that the accomplishment of any goal is directly related to your belief in your ability to actually do it. Visualizing by itself is helpful, but when combined with the emotions of having overcome the habit, then your success is unstoppable. Lee Milteer provides some great tips as to how to do this.
