Want transformation? Habits are the key!
Posted on February 22, 2016 by Linda Ford PhD, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.
OK, transformation is exciting and habits are, well, boring. But sustainable transformation sits on a foundation of changes in our habits.
Never mind transformation, let’s talk about habits.
Habits – such a boring topic. Like your mom telling you to clean your room or stand up straight. It’s much more exciting to talk about transformation.
But here’s the thing – we are the sum of our habits and our choices. So if you want transformation, either build new habits or make different choices. And if you want to sustain the transformation, put your money on new habits.
I’ve been working on replacing my habit of snacking on sugary stuff with a habit of snacking on fruit or veggies. It’s been challenging – a few days ago in the airport I slipped back into my old ways. This slip into sugar made me notice that the new habit is pretty well entrenched now, in spite of this slip. Yay! That caused me to reflect on how I got here.
Here’s what I noticed.
1. A really compelling “why” made the difference.
For me, it came down to noticing that my brain works better when I eat better. Duh! When I really experienced that, my commitment to change soared.
2. Feeling the “why” in my body locked it in.
When I was triggered and felt the slip to old behaviors coming, I could reconnect to the embodied commitment and make a better choice.
3. Slips happen.
When I could, the slip just became part of the process. If I fell into judging myself for having “failed,” I felt like giving up.
4. Really tuning in to my body made it easier.
Bringing my awareness inside was a shift from prior attempts to change this pattern. Letting that feedback loop support the change helped, whether I was on track or noticing a slip.
Gretchen Rubin – “Habits are the invisible architecture of our everyday lives.”
We build transformation by changing that architecture, in our individual lives or in our organizations.
