How many habits should you install at once?

[LoveandPurpose]

Should you focus on one solely or multiple habits?

Also, how long does it take to have a habit really integrated?

[Sahil Pandit]

@LoveandPurpose Integrating multiple habits at once is doable, but you have to be skilled at building the strong infrastructure and having a high degree of awareness.

Infrastructure set in place so that you can repeat the habit over and over again  

and...

High degree of awareness to not fall back asleep into your prior routine

[Leon_Mao]

Ideally installing one habit at a time is probably the most effective since you are able to put your full focus on it. Unfortunately not everyone has the luxury of time to do that. I'd say 2-3 is the most one can do and keep up. Though I'm not practicing what I'm preaching, I'm currently doing around 4-5 since what I want to do in life requires learning a lot of skills and getting my lazy butt in shape physically and mentally. A good book on the topic of habits is the power of habit by Charles Duhigg. On the second question it varies. If you are trying to install a new habit having a good reward feedback look will make the habit form faster. I'd say about 3 months to a year of consistency would be good. For uninstalling bad habits it could be much longer since the bad habit probably has a strong reward attached to it from other needs not being met. I hope this of some help good luck!

[ivory]

4 minutes ago, Leon_Mao said:

Ideally installing one habit at a time is probably the most effective since you are able to put your full focus on it. Unfortunately not everyone has the luxury of time to do that.

My experience is that you can really only deeply focus on one thing at a time. I disagree with the latter point. People are too impatient to deal with one thing at a time.

[ivory]

18 minutes ago, LoveandPurpose said:

Also, how long does it take to have a habit really integrated?

I think it depends on the strength of the habit. It took me 3 months to develop good sleep habits.

[LoveandPurpose]

@Sahil Pandit What do you mean by an infrastructure?

[Sahil Pandit]

@LoveandPurpose

This video is insanely useful if you can tap into the wisdom being explained here

[LoveandPurpose]

@Leon_Mao Yes it was helpful, thank you!

[LoveandPurpose]

@Sahil Pandit Oh I didn't know that one before, thanks!  

[TheAvatarState]

One thing I've found is that you're MUCH more capable than you think. Anything is possible with a great enough vision and change in consciousness.  

[Sahil Pandit]

@LoveandPurpose check it outttttttt 

[LoveandPurpose]

@ivory Yes I'm impatient and want to have my ideal life right now  But slow and steady wins the race. Like Leo often said: Be the tortoise, not the hare!

[LoveandPurpose]

@TheAvatarState So by having a vision and being mindful you can install more than just one habit at time?

[Eric Tarpall]

I would recommend installing every habit that you want to install immediately. And decide to do them for the rest of your life. This is a big decision so be careful. Only choose habits that are going to increase your happiness level in the long term. 

[TheAvatarState]

@LoveandPurpose Yes. Bringing conscious awareness into every mundane task in your life is key. Prioritize higher consciousness, and everything else will fall into place. This is not easy, but it can bring about radical transformation. The transformation that occurs within will be reflected out there. THIS IS NO SHORTCUT!! It is extremely difficult, so take this advice with caution. I'm not sure if you'd be ready to tackle your inner demons first, but it worked for me. I found this to be the most effective and rewarding method, because like you I'm impatient and not cut out for one change at a time. I demanded more from myself to make it happen, but man am I seeing results (that's not the point I'm after, I'm not chasing results, but just to give you an idea).

[LoveandPurpose]

@Eric Tarpall So multiple at once? I like the long term vision here.

[LoveandPurpose]

@TheAvatarState That's also an option I always have in the back of my mind, yet the counter-intuitiveness often seems me to write it off. 

You mean that you make mindfulness the number one priority and from that space of peace you do the things you need to do resulting in more patience, indurance, less resistance, more focus etc.?

[TheAvatarState]

@LoveandPurpose Think of it this way. You change one habit at a time, you haven't changed yourself, you just hope that by changing your actions, you'll eventually change yourself. But the whole, long, grueling slog up the mountain is a fight against yourself. Your entire body wants to resist, and you'll easily rationalize why you shouldn't be taking these steps. Your mind has the capability to erase the mountain from view. Unless you want to struggle for months and months with no sight and no inner drive (because you haven't changed yourself), then don't do that. It could work if you had a strong foundation of habits already, but for me who basically had nothing to grab onto, I knew I had to work from the inside out.

Might I suggest getting comfortable in your own body first. Do consciousness work first, and develop a thirst for it (you're here on this forum, so I think you might already have it). Practice being present as much as you can throughout the day. Be mindful. Practice self-love and love towards others. I have found that if you raise your consciousness enough, you'll reach a breaking point where you simply can't continue your old habits any longer. When this time comes, write in detail all of your thoughts and feelings, all of your fears and insecurities about making the BIG change in your life that you knew was inevitable. Then when you're truly ready, feeling that in every ounce of your being, make THE VOW. You're making the biggest changes in your life you can, so make this turning point official. Make a ceremony around it. This was known to be essential in ancient cultures, and trust me, it is. I wandered aimlessly for a little bit before I listened to Leo and realized how necessary a vow was to this path. This isn't a mission statement or anything, as I'm still trying to find my life purpose. You don't have to have everything figured out. But it's the vision to just say that from this day forward, I will be the person I was always meant to be. From this, I've made several huge changes at once, and I loved it. It hasn't been nearly as much of a struggle.

Only you know if you're ready for something like this.   

[BjarkeT]

10 hours ago, LoveandPurpose said:

Should you focus on one solely or multiple habits?

Also, how long does it take to have a habit really integrated?

I think it best one habit at a time that increase the chances of following through.

a study showed that it take 66 days to form a new habit but likely more than that.

Edited December 31, 2018 by BjarkeT

[CreamCat]

Change one habit at a time.

Edited December 31, 2018 by CreamCat