Good Habits For Life: Accomplish Any Personal Goal

By Moises Hinojosa

Would it make sense if I told you that the reason many people fail at changing their habits is that they're going about the process all wrong? One doesn't simply "drop" a bad habit from one day to the next. You also don't develop a new habit by simply deciding that you want to change your ways! If that's true, then how do you go about it? The good news is that there is a simple framework that you can apply to your life that will help you change any bad habit and replace it with a more constructive one.

In addition to helping you identify the bad habits you should change, this tried and trusted framework also helps you to identify the habits needed to achieve a new, more productive goal. Changing your habits using the correct process will enable you to achieve any new goal that you set for yourself. Using a combination of the habit loop and even somatic therapy and techniques will help you identify and change any habit you're dealing with. That includes habits like losing weight, adopting a healthier lifestyle as well as being more productive. It will even help you to quit smoking!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Moises Hinojosa
• Release date: Feb 26, 2023
• ISBN: 9798218161651

Book preview

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: How Habit Formation Works

How Exactly is a Habit Defined?

Why Do People Have Habits?

What Is the Difference Between a Habit and a Routine?

How Does Habit Formation Work–What Is the Habit Loop?

The Cue (Trigger)

The Craving

The Response

The Reward

How Do Incentives (Rewards) Help You Build a Habit?

Real-World Examples of the Habit Loop

Key Takeaways

Chapter 2: What Is a Bad Habit and How to Stop It?

What Makes a Habit Bad?

What Causes Bad Habits?

Stress and Boredom

Learned Past Behavior

Trauma

What Are the Most Common Bad Habits?

Why Are Bad Habits Hard to Break

You Don’t Stop a Bad Habit, You Replace It

Overcoming Negative Self-talk

Become Aware of Negative Self-Talk

Practice Positive Self-Talk

Talk to Someone About It

Focus on the Present

The Importance of Affirmations

What Do You Need to Change Habits and Achieve Goals?

The Importance of Creating Realistic Goals

What Are SMART Goals and How Do They Work?

Steps to Breaking a Bad Habit

Step 1: Choose a Replacement Habit

Step 2: Identify and Remove Triggers and Cues

Step 3: Replace Negative Talk with Positive Talk and Affirmations

Step 4: Create a Support System

Key Takeaways

Chapter 3: Master Your Behaviors

Create Your Intentions

Anticipate Roadblocks

Consider a Few Practical Steps

Create a Schedule

Organize Your Goals

Practice Micro Habits

Consider Temptation Bundling

Visualize Yourself Succeeding

Don’t Start Immediately

Avoid Triggering Situations

Failure Is Not the End

Be Kind to Yourself

Create an Accessible Reward System

Can You Use the Habit Loop to Break Bad Habits?

Additional Tips to Master New Habits

Practice Being Mindful

Be Open to Experimenting With Different Strategies

Use Technology to Your Advantage

Consider Somatic Therapy

Benefits of Somatic Therapy

Somatic Therapy Techniques

Key Takeaways

Chapter 4: Make Small Changes That Help You Accomplish Your Goals

Why Starting Small is Essential

Micro Habits–Why They Work

Micro Habit Examples to Get You Started

The Best Time to Perform a Micro Habit

Anchor Moments—Consider Reversing a Few Habits

Activation Energy: Use the 10-Minute Rule

Key Takeaways

Chapter 5: Get Motivated!

What Exactly Is Motivation?

Why Is Motivation Important?

Types of Motivation and How They Affect Your Habits

Intrinsic Motivation

Five Types of Intrinsic Motivation

Extrinsic Motivation

Four Types of External Motivation

How Much Time Is Required to Form a New Habit?

What Is the 21/90 Rule?

Why Does Motivation Not Last?

Doubting Yourself or Your Abilities

Spreading Yourself Too Thin

Lack of Commitment

Mental Health Issues

Goals Aren’t Specific Enough

Easy Steps to Getting and Staying Motivated

Create a Schedule and Stick to It

Make Motivation a Habit in Its Own Right

Create an Inspirational Playlist

Eat Well

Get Enough Rest

Always Reward Your Wins

Staying Motivated: Apply the Goldilocks Rule

Key Takeaways

Chapter 6: Get Back on Track When You Go Astray

Success Isn’t a Straight Line

The Top 10 Reasons That New Habits Often Fail

Goals Were Undefined

Too Many Goals to Achieve at Once

Poor Planning

Focusing on Effort Rather Than Reward

Not Changing the Environment

Procrastination

No Set Deadline

Listening to Naysayers

Giving up Too Soon

Trying to Perform Habits in Isolation

Five Expert Steps to Help You Get Back on Track

Step 1: Reassess Where You Are

Step 2: Tie Your Goal to Your Current Behavior

Step 3: Find Small Ways to Stick to Your Planned Schedule

Step 4: Find a Buddy

Step 5: Re-design Your Environment—Create Visual Cues

Key Takeaways

Conclusion

References

Introduction

Habits. We all have them. Some are good, while others may be downright atrocious. Many of our habits have been with us for as long as we can remember. In fact, we might not even remember where or how we picked them up. There are also habits that we seem to do without realizing that we’re doing them. What are habits? How do they affect the goals that we set for ourselves? And why are they so hard to change?

Simply put, habits are the many little behaviors that make up our daily routines. Whether it’s something as mundane as brushing your teeth or an activity that’s a little bit more complex like cooking dinner, habits help us get both essential and fun things done. It’s important to emphasize that not all habits are necessary for your life. In fact, some can be bad for your health and your general well-being. Once we identify these habits as negative influences in our lives, we often decide it’s time to act on them. It’s this deduction that drives a person’s urge to set goals for themselves to either break the bad behavior traits completely or change them to something positive.

With that in mind, how many times have you wanted to achieve a new goal? How often have you tried to break an existing habit such as smoking, overeating, or even spending too much time on your social media platforms? Perhaps too many to count. When we think about changing habits, we envision a huge obstacle. A giant mountain we need to get around. Sometimes it seems like you may be giving up more than you’re getting in return. The longer you’ve had the habit, the more difficult it may seem to break. This is because breaking and creating habits is essentially a lot of constant hard work!

Equally important is that many people may not realize that, in most cases, achieving new goals is a two-fold deal. You need to break the series of behaviors that lead to you continuing to perform the bad habit. Then, at the same time, you need to introduce new behaviors that will ultimately create the new habit. This new habit will then form the basis of your ultimately achieving your goal. That sounds complicated. Especially since most people don’t realize that success depends on how you approach both parts of this process. Changing habits isn’t just about quitting something or starting something else. It’s no wonder, then, that so many people approach changing habits and achieving goals with so much hesitation! After all, who wants to fail, or in some instances, continuously fail, at trying to master a new habit needed to achieve a goal they really want to achieve?

In fact, Candela Brower, a licensed professional counselor and certified somatic experiencing practitioner in Southbury, Connecticut, has explained the process of trying to change your habits like this:

"It’s like eating a big meal and not fully digesting it, but then eating