Habit, as wikipedia defines, is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously.
HOW DO WE FORM HABITS?
Habitual behavior is unnoticed to the person exhibiting it, because a person does not need to engage in self-analysis when undertaking routine task. A habit if formed through (intentionally or unintentionally) repeating the same things. Within a short period of time, they become habitual and one might not even realize it when it is being done. Old habits are hard to stop as they become one’s way of life and new habits are hard to form due to the fact that the behavioural patterns which humans repeat become imprinted in neural pathways but new habits are usually formed through repetition and determination. Our surroundings also affects the habits we form. For instance, if I were to move from a small hometown like Sara Pateh to a big city like New York City, I'd eventually lose the habit of greeting everyone as I pass by them.
HOW DOES HABITS AFFECT OUR DAILY LIVES?
A good habit affects us positively and vice-versa. The things we do daily shape our individual characters as well as become our path to out destination. While going over the book "7 habits of highly effective people" with Thione, we mentioned how our habits affect our future-self more than our present-self. If one has a habit of being unproductive all day from a young age, perhaps by watching TV or constantly on social media, when he or she is older and at the age of responsibility and effectiveness in his/her community, he or she makes might find it very hard to catch up to a productive lifestyle.
Your habits are a reflection of who you are as person and they form your identity. Some people are early risers, while others prefer to sleep in. This is a habit that starts off your day. We become so used to our daily routine that we hardly notice that we are actually impacting our lives via these habits. If somebody really wants to succeed in life, then it reflects on everything they do and what they do not do. Their every habit shows the commitment to the success. So, before you decide to change your habits to be successful, just find out how your habits affect your success in life.
HOW DO WE GET RID OF BAD HABITS?
This is a hard task due to the fact that it was require so much focus and dedication to get rid of a bad habit, instead, replacing a bad habit with a good one will be easier. You need to have a plan ahead of time for how you will respond when you face the situation that prompts your bad habit. What are you going to do when you get the urge to smoke? (perhaps take breathing exercises). What are you going to do when Instagram is calling you to procrastinate? (try writing one sentence for work or your personal development.) Whatever it is and whatever you're dealing with, you need to have a plan for what you will do instead of your bad habit.
Or perhaps your environment makes your bad habits easier and the good ones harder; a change of environment is will also help. Take a trip to the other side of the country if you can't afford a flight and take a flight to East Africa if you can!
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