![]() ![]() And you can press on by continuing to repeat these small acts of resistance day by day and week by week. Because once you know you can go one week without indulging your nicotine cravings, you can surge ahead and try one more week. Even saying no one time when you want a cigarette will prove to your brain that you do have the power to resist. So if, for example, you want to quit smoking, just trying to quit will boost your willpower. So, whether that means jogging on a different path every now and then or switching it up by running with a partner or even stopping to smell the roses, any attempt to add new stimulation and give yourself time to intentionally savor an experience will help. Because although you want to get into the habit of doing something, you don’t want it to become so monotonous that it’s draining. You can do this by adding a little spice to your habits, just to keep yourself engaged in a healthy routine that doesn’t become boring. And last but not least, it’s also important that you keep your habits happy. I can’t go running today!” But if you’ve planned ahead, you can counter that scenario with, “That’s okay - I’ll just wear my waterproof running gear!” Doing this consistently is a great way to keep you on track. ![]() For example, if you haven’t planned ahead, an unexpected rain shower might tempt you to say, “Oh, too bad! It’s raining. You can also talk yourself out of giving in to excuses by anticipating challenging situations that may arise as you form your new habit. We might not realize it at the time, but by operating on auto-pilot in this manner, we’re sifting through the detritus of daily decision-making by auto-simplifying our choices. And we have extra habits for every other part of our lives, like having a “usual” food every time we go to a certain restaurant. The same is true for other social habits, like practicing active listening by saying, “Mm-hm,” and “Right” during business meetings or other conversations. Maybe we didn’t intentionally choose that seat at first, but for one reason or another, we kept sitting in it and now it’s a habit that we unconsciously engage in. During these moments, we’re kind of operating on auto-pilot, making choices without consciously thinking, “I’m going to go do this thing now.” That’s how we form a lot of social habits that make us comfortable, like sitting in the same seat during every class or business meeting or consistently sitting in the same order around the family dinner. In fact, studies show that at least one-third of our lives are powered by our unconscious. Bigger habits, both positive and negative - like dieting or smoking - might come to mind, but our lives are actually made up of a variety of large and small habits. So, now that we’ve taken a look at how habits are formed, let’s take a moment to consider the habits in your life. ![]()
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