How Do You Go About Changing/keeping Your Habits?

[Joshua_]

I started out keeping track of everything mentally about 4-5 months ago with abysmal success rates,

then I moved on to an app where I would each day check off what I did and didn't do, which proved highly effective and helped me start a consistent meditation and reading practice.

I found it works great for starting new habits, but it hasn't really effective when trying to quit or change existing habits like diet, porn etc.

From now on before going to bed I will write down everything I want to do on a piece of paper and tick it off the next day, hoping that this way the things I am writing down will carry a little more weight in my mind.

What methods do you use to quit/change/keep your habits?

[Sukhpaal]

I use the reminders app on my iphone. I've been using it since I first started meditating back in June of 2016. Even though I don't need the reminder anymore, it doesn't hurt to have it just in case. I usually start slow with a new habit and put it into my reminders app. Then slowly increase time/pace etc into my new habit. For example; starting off meditating just 5 minutes a day for a month, next month I'd go to 10. Then keep it at 10 for a few more months then slowly increase it over time. Homeostasis has ruined good habits I've tried to keep in the past so that is another thing to be aware of. The power of homeostasis and being ready for it is super important. 

[St Clair]

Make sure your habit changes are positively motivated. Cultivate a powerful vision for how your life will look if you successfully tackle a certain habit. Think about how much time, energy, money, health, etc you will gain as a result of eliminating that habit from your life. Reinforce this positive outcome through journalling and visualisations.

Also use journalling as you go about tackling the habit. Dissect your thought processes as you confront the desire to indulge in the habit, and write it down. Even if you do submit to the habit, don't feel guilty. Get present, and simply observe how it makes you feel. Over time if you do this you will accrue a bunch of notes on strategies you personally used to overcome the habit in that moment. You might find substitutions for your habit that prove to be effective. Do what works for you.

 Tackling negative habits is a difficult path to manoeuvre, so don't feel guilty if you fail. Just keep pushing forward diligently, and know of the freedom that awaits! All the best. 

 

Edited August 24, 2017 by St Clair

[Lawrence]

The only way to to stop a habit you don't want is to replace it with one you do want, one that actually serves you.

Don't try to stop doing the negative habit, just focus instead on habits which empower you. Like @St Clair said, don't feel guilty if you find yourself submitting to the habit because chances are you will at first. Unless you try really hard and strain to keep the unwanted habit at bay. However this will come back to bite you in the backside later.

There should be no stress or strain when replacing unwanted habits. Because you will just create more of the same.

 The tendency to think and act on the impulse will slowly die as you replace it with a positive habit.

There are two amazing books I HIGHLY recommend in this area about habit building and building them the right way.

One Small Step Can Change Your Life - The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer

The Slight Edge - Turning Simple Disciplines Into massive happiness and Success by Jeff Olson

Have a productive day! 

Edited August 24, 2017 by Lawrence

[Afonso]

I'll just talk about the way I delete habits out of my life, with great success.

1. Get yourself a journal (or pick yours if you already have one).
2. Leave a page just for tracking of your negative habit/addiction.
3. Write down your negative habit, your motivation for getting rid of it, why it would be beneficial and why you don't want to have it anymore. It's important you don't phrase it as should/shouldn't because that will only create more resistance. Be genuine about it or it won't work.
4. Write that you commit yourself to not engage in this habit anymore
5. Every time a craving pops up, write down in your journal when it happened, why and what you were doing/feeling. That way you'll become hyper-aware of these cravings.
6. When the craving pops up, just feel it in the body and be still till it disappears. It will probably be an anxiety/uncomfortable feeling.
7. Keep updating your journal with gains and realisations!

Example from my journal