Source: www.dealry.co.uk
We often slip off our goals and commitments and the lack of willpower is not the only causer. It is also because we forget about them at all. Fortunately, if we are able to remind ourselves about the new behavior, or a goal that we are after, then it is more likely that we will be able to achieve that new type of behavior, or that particular goal. Frankly, our environment can serve as a good and proper reminder in this regard.
There are countless example where our environment can help us a lot in shaping our behaviors, whether that is in relationship, finances or work.
Let’s suppose that you have always wanted to run for a couple of minutes in the morning, before you go to work, but somehow you were never able to do that in the past. Instead of identifying yourself as a person that cannot go out and run in the morning, put your trainers next to your bedroom, so that immediately after you wake up, you are reminded that you should go out and run.
Maybe you want to wake up early and immediately start to prepare for an exam, but usually find yourself scrolling down aimlessly in Facebook, without getting anything valuable. You can simply put your books on top of your laptop and the next time you wake up, you are reminded that you have to study. Of course, you can still remove your books from the laptop and continue with the old habits of wasting time online, but your books can become as a source of information about an important endeavor and thing that you should be doing. You aren’t supposed to never visit Facebook, but you can postpone and reduce the number of hours that you spend in it.
You still might be thinking that you should contact your family members more often, but somehow, weeks and months are passing by and you are not showing any sign of progress in this aspect. Though this pattern might have appeared for a long period of time in the past, it is not supposed to be as it is for the rest of your life. You can change this, by reminding yourself that you should contact and also visit them more often. Simply put a sticker in your fridge with a note that says Family, and each time you open up the fridge to eat something you are reminded that you should contact them. Of course, you shouldn’t contact them each time you see that sign, but it would be proper for you to invest time for your family at least once a week.
Usually, one of the most difficult phases of doing something is beginning. After you are able to overcome the initial resistance, you are more likely to continue until the end of the session. I intentionally wrote about installing these new behaviors in the morning, because it is easier for you to do them, as later on unanticipated things might appear that can fill up your time and distract you. You do not need super powers to improve yourself. You simply need to follow proven techniques that are practical. You can get a better a life by building better habits.
