You’d think it would be easy to better yourself, and good habits would come naturally. Unfortunately, the human brain doesn’t work that way. While we might have really good intentions about breaking out of a familiar cycle, it can be insanely difficult to make good habits stick.
Creating better habits will make you feel better overall. You’ll be able to accomplish more, become a better person, and feel great at the end of the day.
The Key is to Start Small
Changing every bad habit you have all at once will leave you feeling drained and more susceptible to failure. No one has time for failure. This is the stage to reprogram your brain into seeking success only.
Set a teeny tiny goal. Maybe it’s only snoozing your alarm once in the mornings. Once you achieve that, next week, it can be no snoozing. Reward yourself by sleeping a little later on Saturdays.
Feeling accomplished and getting rewarded is like giving your brain a high five. The rewards are tenfold. Not only were you not late to work, but you started your whole day not feeling rushed. And if sleeping in makes you happy, reward yourself on a day when you don’t have to be somewhere on time.
Build on Your Success
Once you’ve nailed creating one good habit, it’s time to build on that. Since you’re already getting up on time, try getting up five minutes earlier to give yourself time to actually wake up. You’ll notice how you have a little time to breathe. Maybe your work commute will stop stressing you out. Perhaps you don’t feel like you need to buy a jumbo coffee at lunch. The good things tend to spiral once you’ve set yourself up on the right track.
You’ll Become an Addict
You might still not appreciate the birds chirping at 6 AM, but you will appreciate how life feels a little easier. You won’t even notice when it becomes second nature. Soon you’ll think about a new goal, like maybe you want to add exercise into your routine. Well, guess what? You’ve already carved out some time for yourself since you’re no longer constantly running late. Maybe you have time to take the stairs up to your office. Perhaps you can squeeze in a walk on your lunch break since you’re not consuming caffeine. The possibilities are truly endless.