How to identify bad habits

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There are many ways to identify bad habits. Here is how you can do it…

ASK OTHERS

Good habits attract good comments. People will know you by them. Close relations or well-wishers will automatically point out what good habits you have and what are the habits that you need to change.

For example:

If you are a student, your mother might insist that you stop sleeping late and start getting up early.

1.) ASCERTAIN IF YOUR HABITS WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY OR STRENGTH

2.) BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH

3.) COMMONLY CLASSIFIED BAD HABITS

Making excuses and blaming others

Not thinking long term

Assuming things or second-guessing

Seeking validation

Self-doubt and putting yourself down

Negative thinking

Perfection intention

Not reading

Punctuality issues

Being reactive

Once you identify the bad habits that you have, you can admit them and write them down. Try breaking the bad habits with positive reinforcement. Seek others’ help if you are finding the process difficult.

What are the bad habits?

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According to Wikipedia, a bad habit is a negative pattern.

Once we understand how habits are formed, we have to identify what are our good and bad habits. Good habits can be continued. It determines how focused are you in achieving your goals.

But bad habits should not be encouraged. They have the capacity to block your success. THE SOONER YOU IDENTIFY YOUR BAD HABITS, THE BETTER. Bad habits, for example, procrastination, smoking, etc., can affect you negatively whether you are a student, an employee or an entrepreneur.

LINKING FOCUS AND HABIT TOGETHER TO ATTAIN SUCCESS

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Instead of setting goals, help yourself by practicing good habits step by step and slowly building them up to be a new you.

This is one way to link focus and your habits to be successful.

1. Think about what you want to be as a person. Change yourself by changing your habits accordingly.

2. Instead of taking a resolution – I want to reduce weight, instead say I am 55 kgs and work to attain that number from day one.

3. Good changes that lead to success in life take time. The route to it is to repeat to yourself – I am developing good habits.

4. Understanding your Habit Loop – break that bad habit at the daily routine level, and this will help you to create your new good routine.

5. Start with small tasks and gradually build on it.

Now see how focused are you are. You will be amazed at yourself.

How to change habits

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KNOWING THE CUE IS IMPORTANT

They appear regularly.

Positive routines should be undertaken. Use the same cue to change your habit.

KNOWING WHAT THE REWARD THAT YOU GET IS, IS ALSO IMPORTANT.

Understanding what rewards you are seeking will help you realize the reason for the addiction problem.

You will discover that the same reward can be obtained from some other positive actions.

For example, if you feel relaxed when you smoke, do some other routine that gives relaxation instead. It could be eating a mouth freshener or talking to a friend.

THEREFORE, CUE AND REWARD CANNOT BE CHANGED, BUT ROUTINE (ACTION) CAN BE REPLACED.

"The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same." -- Colin R. Davis

Do you want to change your current habits

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The Habit Loop becomes an urge as it becomes stronger and stronger every time you perform it.

For example, smoking is one habit that is not good for you and your health. It becomes an addiction that is difficult to overcome.

These habits may not help you become successful in life. Some habits like smoking may cause severe health issues as well.

In case you want to change your current habits for better and effective ones, the following procedure can be followed:

1. Identify the habit that you want to replace

2. Understand the rewards, then experiment

3. Isolate the cue

3 components form habit loop

The components and the Habit Loop are explained further as follows:

Cue

The cue can be of any shape or size – it could be a small object, time of day, emotion, etc.

For example:

  • The clock strikes six, and you are up and awake
  • After drinking tea, you are cued to smoke.

These cues signal the brain to go to the next step.

The routine

It is the behavior that you perform on arriving at the cue.

Example: Smoking, snacking, and waking up are some routines you follow upon getting different cues.

The reward

You perceive the reward after performing the routine. The award could be in many forms. Also, different people see different rewards for their routine.

Smoking, for example, will bring in a quick spike in dopamine levels to some. For others, it is a part of socializing. For another set of people, it breaks the monotony.

HOW HABITS WORK

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Every habit has a neurological code. It follows a structure, a consistent pattern. It can be explained with the “Habit Loop Model,” expounded by Charles Duhigg in his book – The Power of Habit.

These three components form a loop.

Routine

Cue

Reward

1. The habit begins with a cue.

2. On a cue, you follow a routine.

3. Once the routine is performed you get a reward. The reward is usually a feel-good factor achieved due to the habit.

Brain says if you take this cue and follow this routine, you will get a good reward.