HABITS

By We Emotionally Care

When a year begins, we create different expectations of what we want to achieve, goals, objectives, and projects. However, as the days go by, this motivation begins to diminish. We want to make drastic changes and feel frustrated when we need to meet these expectations.

This is why we bring you this fascinating topic about habits.

Before we start, we want to share the meaning of habits. A habit is a behavior repeated enough times to become an automatic action.

Everything we do directly impacts our emotional, mental, and physical state. When we notice progress, it changes our perception of ourselves and our perception of life; we feel more capable and motivated.

However, starting a new activity and making it automatic can be challenging; getting out of our comfort zone takes effort and energy.

When activity becomes challenging, according to the author of the book “Atomic Habits,” always start with 1% improvement; this will give us the feeling that we are moving forward, and our brain will create neural connections. For example: if you want to walk for half an hour every day, you can commit to choosing a time when you know you will be available, put on your exercise clothes and go out for a few minutes.

A 1% improvement is better than 1% without action.

Our habits define us, empower us, help us grow, and help us move forward, so it is essential to identify our habits and which ones I should implement to achieve my goals and improve my quality of life.

Have you ever asked yourself: How do our habits shape our identity?

Everything you do, consciously or unconsciously, impacts who you are and how you perceive yourself. Those who read a lot are considered readers, and those who smoke frequently are considered smokers. Your behaviors define you, but they are not determinative. You can change this perception by taking action in your life, taking small steps that bring you closer to where you want to be.

Incorporating any new habit into your life will require Time and Effort.

It said that it takes at least 30 days to acquire it, although it depends on the person and the habit you want to incorporate; each of us has its rhythm, so let’s say it can fluctuate and not only depends on the days but the frequency of the behavior.

This method is attributed to comedian and actor Jerry Seinfeld based on his own experience.

1. Identify the habit you want to develop. For example, read for an hour, walk 30 minutes daily, eat at least two pieces of fruit daily, go to bed earlier, etc.

2. Get a calendar. There are several ways to do this; it depends on which one works best for you. THE IMPORTANT THING HERE IS THAT THE CALENDAR IS VISIBLE TO YOU DAILY. They can be, for example:

- Print a large calendar and place it in a visible place.

- With a piece of cardboard, make a calendar and place it where you can see it.

- Use your agenda or notebook.

3. Each day you fulfill the proposed habit, mark the day with an X on the calendar. Mark a big X in a color that stands out (red, for example), you will see that a chain will be formed after several days, and if we keep it over time, it will grow.

4. Continue the chain, don’t break it; use your chain as your motivational weapon! Observing that the chain of Xs in the calendar is growing will motivate us to keep going until we acquire the habit naturally. Apparently, in the case of Jerry Seinfield, this method has even allowed him to generate more than 500 jokes a day.

The decision to change your life is to take small steps every day!