We are the Habits we Create.
By Sha'Ron Harrison, Agape Life Contributor
updated Mon March 2, 2015
There’s no denying that we are, indeed, creatures of habit; good and bad. Our minds and bodies are dependent on stimulant, actions and patterns that come to define who we are. Our habits are our security blankets, enveloping in their consistent presence and comfort of familiarity. We do them unconsciously; sticking fingers in our mouths and cracking our knuckles only find that we can’t remember when this habit began.
“…habits are not born, but created,” The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.
Every bad, good or insignificant habit starts with a psychological pattern called a “habit loop”. The “habit loop” happens in a three part process. The first step is the trigger that tells your brain to let certain behaviors unfold. The second step is the behavior itself, or the routine it creates. The third step is the reward, or “something that your brain likes that helps it remember the ‘habit loop’ in the future.”
We become slaves to our habits. They become inhibitors and some have the power to control our lives. Though some have substances we use have addictive qualities like cigarettes, which make the habits almost impossible to break, there are ways to replace those bad habits with good ones… and all it takes is 66 days. However, if a habit does not include addictive additives or stimulants, which
makes the withdrawal and brain processes different, who’s to say it won’t take you 66 days to cut out all those nasty habits that have been overtaking your life?
If you take the habit out of your life, the same way you put one into your life, you will find yourself free of the unconscious and detrimental patterns that habits cause. For example, instead of watching Netflix before bed, you make yourself read a book. Maybe instead of a piece of cake or cookie before bed, you make yourself eat a piece of fruit like apple or banana.
Whatever your motives, below is the catalyst you can use to kick those bad habits and start picking up some good ones. If at first you don’t succeed try, try again.
Be Obnoxious (Day 1-22)
Shout about it. Tell your friends, family and coworkers you are on a mission. Enlist them as officers to patrol when you’re slipping back into your old ways or not keeping up on your new ones. Tell them you want them to yell at you, bother you and constantly remind you. Add extra pressure on yourself. The pressure of disappointing other people and going back on your word will make it that much harder to go back to your old ways….because sometimes it’s easier to disappoint ourselves than it is other people.
Self-Analyze (Days 22-44)
Take a good look at your life. This is the time to really dig deep and do some soul-searching. What do you want in life? Why are you doing this? How do you want to represent yourself?
Whether you’re quitting a bad habit or picking up healthier one, get to the core of why you’re doing this and how it’s going to affect your life. If you can find that reason buried deep in your unconscious, you will be able to carry these 66 days much easier. You will have an internal force pushing you.
Find the Light (Days 44-66)
The third stage is the final push. As far as you’ve come, you still have to make it these last 22 days. It’s easy to burn out, get tired and forget why you are doing this. It’s easy to revert to your old ways because, up to this point, you have yet to rid yourself of the habit.
At this stage, you must find something to hold on to; something that will push you to that final goal. It’s the last 22 days that prove how strong and willing you really are. At this point, it’s about seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s about realizing that though you can’t see the other end, you can still see glimpses of it.
Treat Yourself (66+)
The only way to solidify the end of an old habit or the birth of a new one is to celebrate it. Throw a party; shout it out on social media. Make a day of it or call up your friends and have a swanky dinner party. If it’s a habit people have been hoping you would break they will be more than willing to celebrate with you. Who knows, you can even make it a yearly tradition.
“Giving up on your goal because of one setback is like slashing your other three tires because you got one flat.”