Change behavior; be the person you want to see in the mirror.

As I was talking to my son tonight, I shared with him the idea that you are
truly in charge of your life and nobody else. I believe this to be true, however
for whatever reason we sometimes wake up to find ourselves victims of external influences and we developed behaviors or habits that we never thought we would have. 

How do we break from these? I won’t go academic and to state some statistic that states it takes 14 days or 30 days to create a new habit or any of the other cliché advice, but I will share four tips that have helped me when I have wanted to create a new habit (or ditch a bad one).

 
1.) Define the habit you want to develop. Not only state it, but actually flesh it completely out to the extent that you can see
it, taste it, hear it, etc. It needs to be so crystal clear in your mind that it as if you already possess the habit. When it comes to our personal behavior or goals, our brains don’t necessary the difference between fantasy and reality. Meaning: if you can see
it, you can do it.

2.)  Whether it’s true  or not, I love the concept of the vikings who, when attacking a village, would go ashore and burn their ships so that there would be no option for retreat. If there is anything that would be a road block for you to your new habit, get rid
of it. For example, if you are trying to stop eating junk food, rid your house completely of all junk food. The fast track back to the old habit  is to be surrounded by the cues that contribute to the old habit. Burn the ships!
 
  3.) Start changing your behavior NOW. I meet people all the time that want complete a triathlon or run a marathon. My first piece of advice is simply sign up, pay your money. If you are serious about change do whatever you have to do NOW, to commit. If you are going to change, don’t allow yourself to have more time for  excuses.

4.)  Build your all-star  team. If you consider anyone that has won a gold medal, they usually have a huge support team that are just as much (if not more) invested in the success of the athlete as the athlete. Share your goal habit, share your potential pit-falls and road  blocks, ask for help and enroll your team to help.

You have the power to be whoever you want to be. If you don’t like who you are or what you are all
about, change  it…today!

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