Protecting Good Habits vs. Forming New Habits

Habits

Where do you focus your energy and time when it comes to habits?

I think most people spend a lot of energy trying to create new habits that are good and beneficial.

It can take anywhere from 30-90 days to form a new habit per multiple research studies.

But how long does it take to form a bad habit?

It is almost immediate.

Why? Because our bodies are biologically embracing the immediate pleasure or instant gratification from the decision or action. 

Example: I go to the gym at 5:30AM around 3-4 times per week. One week I decide to sleep in every day and not go to the gym. It is usually very hard to get in the habit of going to the gym again because our bodies have instant pleasure from sleeping in.

Poof, just like that a good habit is gone, and a bad habit (sleeping in) has replaced it.

I am a firm believer that most people do not focus enough energy on protecting their good habits.

Protecting current good habits is so crucial, and it seems to be a missing piece when people are looking to better themselves.

My suggestion is to reflect upon your good habits and figure out ways that you can protect them.

Be deeply thoughtful about how you will handle situations where your good habits will be tested.

Put boundaries up if you can.

We all know forming new habits and new behaviors takes energy, just don’t forget to utilize some of that energy to protect the good things you already have established.

Week 9 of 52