Habits – Top Tip For Guaranteed Success

“The difference between an amateur and a professional is in their habits. An amateur has amateur habits. A professional has professional habits. We can never free ourselves from habit. But we can replace bad habits with good ones.” ~Steven Pressfield

True – habits rule. Also true – changing them is not often an easy process. We are naturally pulled towards the known and the familiar. Robert Fritz calls it ‘The path of least resistance’. And this is precisely why habits work – they don’t require much thinking, nor do they take up any extra energy. We don’t have to make decisions. We’ve already decided and then we just have to do it aka execute on that decision, repeatedly. Out brain is free to get on with more important matters.

How can we streamline the habit changing process so we actually stand a chance to succeed? Here’s what I’ve found works VERY well, for pretty much most things, not just health and wellness.

Start with ADDING things in, NOT with taking things out. Think ABUNDANCE, not scarcity.

Some call it the ‘crowding out’ process. I call it moving towards what we want, rather than running away from what we don’t want.

THIS CONCEPT WORKS BRILLIANTLY ON 2 LEVELS. 
1. We all know that whatever we shine a light on, grows. Focusing on the things we want in our life is only going to create opportunities to bring these ‘wants’ into existence by the virtue of looking in & taking action in that direction. The ‘want’ has a different energy than the ‘don’t want’. It’s all energy, but nothing really ‘woo woo’ and superstitious about it as it’s ultimately the actions we take that make this happen.

2. On a practical level, we naturally start to ‘crowd out’ the stuff we are not paying attention to. Effortlessly. There is only so much time we have in the day for activities and there is only so much food & drink our bodies can consume.

EXAMPLE #1. We want to start eating healthier and consume less processed food. By focusing on bringing in more greens, fruits and veggies into our meals, we will naturally start eating less of the processed stuff as our tummies can only accommodate so much food at any one time.

Bonus #1 – It is a well-known fact that the more nutrient rich foods we consume, the less junky stuff we crave. Why? It’s all about quality vs quantity. Our bodies crave nutrients and once there is level of satiety, we are no longer hungry. Cravings are a clear sign that there are nutritional deficiencies at present (aside form the emotional component).

Bonus #2 – When we consume nutrient dense food, we reach a level of satiety much quicker. The body is no longer hungry and food is no longer appealing. This is precisely why diets focusing on counting calories, points & sins fail miserably. Calories play a role, but all calories are not created equal. What matters here is what our bodies do with the consumed calories.

EXAMPLE #2. You know you consume way too much caffeine, but how else would you be able to get out of bed and face the day? Yep, no energy, we’ve all been there. What do we do?

Incorporating movement into our early morning routine may just be the answer! Movement brings energy into our bodies (not to mention the myriad of other benefits) so focusing on getting energised naturally will reduce the need to reach out for caffeine so often. Plus the benefits continue to deliver throughout the day. 

I’ve heard so many stories of people getting effortlessly out of habits that no longer serve them by simply focusing on what they want to bring into their lives. ‘I hadn’t realised that I no longer do this and that’ are common side effects!

Have you tried this concept and if so, did you find it beneficial? Please share in the comments.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All content © 2024 HeelsMatter. All Rights Reserved. Privacy | Terms of Service | DisclaimerContact Me

Ready for proper beauty sleep?

Grab your FREE Sleep Foundations Guide!

You're in! Please check your inbox for your guide!

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This