By Attila Ovari

Do you have habits you would like to change?

Maybe its a change in diet, maybe a change in sleeping habits, maybe it is change in routine or maybe it is around exercise. Whatever the habit, have you noticed how hard it can be?

One definition of a habit is “a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.”

So what can you do to change a habit? Here are two suggestions:

1. Replace the habit with another habit. Instead of trying to stop one habit, which is hard to do, work on replacing it with another…. For myself I like to snack all day, sometimes not having lunch. Instead of stopping the snacking, I have worked on replacing the chocolate and processed food, like muesli bars, with fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. In this way I have been able to eat healthier with less effort than just trying to stop snacking.
2. Reward yourself for breaking a habit. If you don’t have a habit that you can replace your current one with, try rewarding yourself for stopping the habit. For example, I have started getting out of bed early to exercise before work…. I do like my sleep, so I reward myself with some extra time to read most mornings as well. I do like reading books….

• What habits do you want to change?

• What habit can you replace the current habit with?

• What way can you reward yourself for breaking the habit?

Attila is a Cause & Effective Associate. He loves life and thrives on helping people become better leaders.