I’m back with Part II of my Change Always Means No Cookies or 8 Tips to Effect Lasting Changes in Your Life. We left off at #4 so click the next page to peruse the rest.
Photo credit: Forbes
5. NO EXCEPTIONS. You might recoil at that. Let’s say you’re trying to quit snacking like I am. I’m trying to extinguish a habit. If I snack, even a few times, that’s continuing to reinforce the habit, which I don’t want to do. To break a habit you need to eliminate it. A habit is something that’s so ingrained in you that you do it almost unconsciously. You need to stop that behavior pattern by getting rid of it. That means getting rid of it period. If you want to quite sugar, and you really want to quit it, then it doesn’t matter if it’s your birthday. No cake for you!
6. Be Prepared for Temptation. Things are going to come up that test your commitment. I think we’re all aware of that. But, you can’t just figure it out as you go along. That’s a prescription for failure. You need some idea of what you’re going to do when the urge strikes. You need to replace your habit with another behavior. So, instead of snacking I’m going to read, call a friend, or watch CNN. I LOVE CNN.
7. Believe You Can. This is important. You absolutely will not change anything about your life if you’re sabotaging yourself with negative thinking. You need to believe that change is possible. You need to believe that change for you is possible. You need to say kind supportive, positive things to yourself. You are your best and most important cheerleader.
8. Take Advantage of the Hawthorne Effect. This effect was described in experiments in the 1920’s on factory workers. Essentially, the Hawthorne Effect says that you are more likely to perform better when other people are watching. What does this mean for you? It means make your goals public. Tell someone about what you’re trying to do. Post about it on Facebook. Do something that makes what you’re doing visible. This gives you additional motivation to succeed.
Speaking of the public accountability thing… I should probably check in next week and let you know how it goes. This means I actually have to do it, doesn’t it? I miss my cookies already!!!
Alicia is a super mom, wife, competitive athlete, and freelance writer. She serves as a featured contributor to the gluten free chef blog. Find out more about her everyday adventures by liking her on Facebook.