hey everyone and welcome to top think today we're going to learn about four steps to
breaking bad habits now let's begin number one identifying patterns have you been struggling
with the same bad habit for years maybe you can't stop procrastinating you stall every
project you avoid chores at home you put off simple things like buying holiday presents for
your friends and family you know you have to do these things but instead of taking action
you wait and you wait and you wait until you can't wait any longer suddenly you're rushing to
the finish line your work suffers and your stress skyrockets or maybe you struggle with moderation
every time you do something you may overdo it you eat too much you drink too much you watch too
much tv it feels like you have no self-control or self-discipline because you never know when enough
is enough somehow you always cross that line these destructive behaviors create negative patterns or
loops they become ingrained in your lifestyle over weeks months and years but by identifying
those bad habits you're already on a path toward lasting change the first step toward change is
realizing that change is necessary most people are blind to the bad habits that plague their life
they don't realize how much they procrastinate they don't realize how often they go overboard
they close their eyes to all the things that they don't like about themselves but you've gained
enough perspective to recognize your destructive patterns you realize that procrastination is a
vicious cycle that leaves you rushed stressed and anxious you discovered that your lack of
self-control is hurting others and it's impacting your lifestyle so instead of turning a blind eye
to your bad habits you've given them a name you've identified the loops and cycles that entrap you
on a regular basis you know what your bad habits are but how do you begin to change them number two
wanting change whether you procrastinate or cross the line just think about how you feel afterwards
like most people you may look back with regret the morning after you may think about your bad
habits and wonder why did i do that when are these destructive behaviors going to stop the choice is
in your hands the second step to changing your bad habits is deciding that it's time to change
most of us have moments after a rough night or a bad decision when you think about changing
you realize something's wrong you realize in that moment that you have a bad habit and you
say i'm never going to do that ever again but a few days later you're stuck in the exact same
position that's because you never truly decided to change even if you recognize that something is bad
for you definitive change requires a different mentality it's not something you tell yourself
out of the blue it doesn't happen at the drop of a hat change requires a firm commitment to yourself
your health and your growth on the road to change it's the hardest decision that you're
going to make so how do you decide when it's time to make a change before you decide to change you
have to want to change if you don't want to change you'll never have the motivation to follow through
on your decision so ask yourself do i want to change am i unhappy with the bad habits i have
right now do i want to better myself now if you don't know the answers to these questions then
you may not be ready and hey that's okay but if you can firmly answer all of these questions then
your mind has been made up you're ready to change so let's bring that important decision to life
number three setting your goals you've decided to change your bad habits but before you can take
action you need a clear idea of where you're going you need to know more about the path you're going
to follow that's why step number three is setting achievable goals but there's a right and a wrong
way to set goals many people shoot for the stars hoping lofty ambitions will drive their bad habits
away but bad habits will never disappear overnight remember that these patterns have developed over
years of poor self-discipline you've been trapped inside these negative loops for so long
they've become ingrained in your behavior they feel natural to you they become an unconscious
part of your lifestyle and routine that's why obtainable goal setting is vital to your growth
and improvement the road to change is like climbing out of a hole that you've been
digging for years you can't scale those walls in one giant leap instead you're going to use small
obtainable goals to gradually climb higher and higher and you'll form new more positive patterns
those patterns like your bad habits will become ingrained in your lifestyle over time
eventually good habits will feel as natural and as easy as bad habits but you have to
stick with him for a long time you have to keep accomplishing small goals over and over again
and if you can do that those goals will carry you into a happier and healthier life
so what do these small obtainable goals look like as you overcome bad habits your goals should
stimulate small but significant growth every day try to do a little bit better than the day before
but only a little bit if your work ethic crumbles after 15 minutes try 20 minutes
today and then 25 minutes tomorrow then 30 minutes the day after that set a goal to work
for five extra minutes every day without getting distracted it may not seem like much in the moment
but those little bits of progress will snowball over time and create lasting change by design
small goals feel relatively easy to accomplish anyone can work for five extra minutes but
don't discount the changes you're making feel proud of your small five-minute improvements
celebrate any and all progress that you're making even the smallest changes can help you alter
an old habit because each change reinforces a new healthier mindset you're creating a stronger
belief in yourself while ingraining into your brain a new set of positive routines so brainstorm
small obtainable goals take whatever good habits you want to develop and shrink them down into 5 10
or 15 minute increments when you've created these goals weave them into your daily life
and perform these rituals every day because each time you improve even if it's just a tiny bit
you're growing into a better version of yourself number four locking in your aspirations saying
i want to change is rarely enough even if you set obtainable goals there's no guarantee
that you're going to follow through right luckily you can use two different strengthening techniques
to lock in your ambitions first write down your goals and aspirations if you really want to change
start by grabbing a pen and paper then write down what you want to change about yourself
and why write in as much or as little detail as you want whatever sticks in your head make
it personal make it specific make it relate to your everyday life address your habits directly
because this piece of paper is going to help you stay focused it's going to remind you every day
that change is coming that you have the power to overcome your bad habits and toxic patterns
each time you think about procrastinating read this paper and remember that you want to change
before a night out read this paper and remind yourself that moderation is key remind yourself
that you're not going to get carried away that you're aspiring to make a real change in your life
now as simple as this trick sounds written rules and goals are critical on the road toward lasting
change even if you've made up your mind temptation will challenge your resolve and in those difficult
moments your brain will search for reasons to give in reasons to go back to the way things used to be
imagine sitting in front of your computer screen trying to get some work done your brain will
feel tempted to surrender to temptation to browse social media or watch an episode of
something on netflix it will do anything to avoid the obstacle standing in front of you
but each time you feel this undeniable temptation you can read your written aspirations you can
remind yourself how badly you want to change and your own words will empower you to persevere
writing rules isn't the only way to keep your temptations in check you can also
create accountability by telling your loved ones about your decision pick a handful of people
closest to you people that you see on a regular basis tell them what you want to change about
yourself explain to them your reasons why and emphasize how important this improvement is to you
by telling another person your goals become real your intentions materialize because now someone
else is expecting something of you they want to see you succeed just like you do they're hoping
for you to change and that hope will help you rise to the occasion accountability is a huge
motivator for many people no one wants to let their friends and family down you want to proudly
show them that you can change for the better while making your loved ones happy shouldn't be
your primary motivation it certainly pushes you toward healthier habits in the beginning stages
of change motivation is motivation no matter where it comes from hey thank you
for watching top think and be sure to subscribe because more incredible content is on the way