Stick to Your Good Habits

If rules are made to be broken, can you stick to your good habits?  How many people around the world make New Year’s resolutions that end up in the waste baskets a few weeks after New Year’s Eve?

Being a worldwide phenomenon, a puzzle and interest to many people, several books have been written about this subject.  How can you discipline yourself to stick to your good habits?  How can you keep your schedule of morning exercises, eat the right food at the right quantity, sleep and rest, or even come to work on time?

Like most people, I was in the same dilemma.  I keep making promises to keep to my good habits to no avail.  I am successful for a week then I fail the following week; it was like a “yoyo” until I practiced the following:   

1.  I wake up early and meditate.  Again, waking up early is not easy.  But once you start it, waking up early becomes a habit that is very easy to keep.  Your body adjusts very fast and you soon will have a body clock that keeps you awake at the specific time you intend to.  Apart from practicing a habit, waking up early will enable you to have plenty of time to meditate and mentally prepare yourself for the day ahead.  Meditation helps awaken your discipline nerves, perk up and boost you for any habits that need to be done.
2. I reward myself early on.  I found out that deferring a reward until I have fully established a habit does not work; it only makes me jittery.  I learned that a reward in between the accomplishment of my goal gives me peace of mind and the time to regroup to gain more strength and discipline to carry on.  For instance, if my goal is to read at least one self-improvement book a month, I give myself a little treat like going window shopping if I am able to keep this discipline for at least two successive months.
3. I take one step at a time.  Some people immediately desire to have a habit that is too lofty to accomplish.  Though this description is subjective because what may be a huge goal for one person may be something too small for another person.  But nonetheless, whatever your goal is, break it down into small steps.  For instance, if your ultimate goal is to exercise for 30 minutes every day, make it 10 minutes on day one, 15 minutes on day two and so on.  This will help your mind see that the task is not too huge or overwhelming. Take baby steps toward your ultimate objective of keeping your good habit.
4. Get an accountability partner.  It is easy to break a good habit, if no one knows that you want to stick to your good habit.  An accountability partner will remind you of the benefits of sticking to your good habit.  An accountability partner will boost your morale and push and help you achieve your goal.
5. Finally, I never give up.  Though I may fail several times, I keep trying to stick to my good habits.