“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit.” — Aristotle

Think about the habits you have now and how they affect virtually every aspect of your life. Your weight and health are determined by your eating habits. Your relationships with people are determined by your social habits. You have sleeping habits that dictate how well you sleep. You even have buying habits; just take a look around your house and you will quickly see them. 

Our character, health and virtually every aspect of our lives are indeed determined by our habits.

Often, when we think of changing our habits, we think of good habits versus bad habits.

Such as eating a salad versus that bar of chocolate. Biting your nails versus leaving your fingers alone. Staring at your screen right before bed versus putting your phone down and practising good sleep routines.

Although behaviour change is important for negative habits, it’s just as important to focus your attention on building positive habits. 

A positive habit is simply a habit that produces positive benefits, actions and attitudes you want to acquire and make a part of your life. 

Why is there such great power in positive habits to effect change? Because habits, by their very nature, are automatic. After a period of time they can become permanent.

Learning how to form new habits and eliminate bad ones can help you control your impulses and begin to build a lifestyle where you are in control, a lifestyle that is balanced, a lifestyle that is healthier.

How can you start to change your habits and build new positive habits?

Write down your goals. Start by writing down the negative habits you hope to eliminate and the positive habits you wish to build. 

Avoid triggers. The key to stopping bad habits is to eliminate the activities, people, and places that trigger the habit in the first place. For example, if you tend to overspend when you shop at a particular grocery store, choose to shop at a less tempting store.

Focus on making small changes. Changing an existing habit or building a new one can be overwhelming. An effective method for making big changes to your daily habit is by starting with simple steps. Focus on consistently practising tiny habits. For example, if you want to start exercising more, start by going for a five-minute walk every day.

Want to learn more? I have a workbook that can support you, download your copy now - https://www.theleaptolead.com/habits 

Key is not to attempt to overhaul your entire life in one go. What's important is that you take the first step, start today to focus on one small change you can take and start to build your positive habits. You’ve got this!