By: Dr. Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, Sr. Associate Editor, ICN Group
(In the past article, we knew about the importance of inculcating good habits. Today, we will know about this.)
Overcome initial resistance while inculcating good habits
Inculcating new habits is like growing a Chinese bamboo tree. It takes about 5 years to grow. Initially, no progress is visible for about 5 years but once it grows out of the earth, suddenly it starts growing at a very fast pace. You have to nurture it and fertilise it for 5 years without seeing any results. When Chinese bamboo tree appears, it looks like overnight success but imagine, could it grow, if it is not nurtured over a period of 5 years without apparent results. Similarly, a farmer cannot see the crop at the time of sowing the seeds but still he sows the seeds, because he has a reasoned belief that if he follows the correct procedure, the crop is bound to come at the appropriate time.
Have patience and keep on trying to inculcate good habits. The results will start showing with passage of time. Old traditional approach has its own limitations. You are trapped in the vicious circle of pain & gain at psychological level. Unless you learn to weigh the possible gains against the pains, you will not persist with your new habit. You need GOPTA to change your bad habits.
Here, I take an example. Suppose you are a late riser in the morning and want to start daily morning walk, that too early morning. When you start, you decide that you are going to change your bad habit of sleeping till late hours in the morning. You become very enthusiastic and start telling everybody that you are going to change your life by rising early and doing morning walk daily. But after 2-3 days, you find that the initial excitement and thrill has gone and you are overwhelmed with the pains required to be taken for changing this habit. You start finding ways to stay in your comfort zone. This is the time, when you are likely to give up; but if you cross this phase by reminding yourself about the rewards, you will persist with your new habit. If you persist, in 15 days or so, you will start feeling somehow satisfied after seeing the benefits of early rising and morning walk. Then only, your new habit will take place of the old habit of rising late. Now, it’s time to reward yourself as you have developed a new positive & empowering habit in place of old negative & limiting habit.
If you are aware of this process beforehand, you will not get frustrated with the initial pains of developing new habit. Just like the example of cup of tea overflowing with water, you have to fill the sub-conscious mind with positivity and the negative habits will be automatically flushed out of your system. Quantum of positivity is not that much important than regular supply of positivity.
Be aware about the need to change
When you are trying hard but the desired results are not forthcoming, it’s time to ask some questions to yourself. Be aware of your activities and make conscious efforts to identify the root cause behind this. You have to identify:-
1. Areas of strengths: What I am doing, which is bringing positive results. This will help you to focus more upon this area.
2. Areas of weaknesses: What I am doing, which is not bringing positive results. Am I wasting my time in excessive television viewing; am I spending more money than required or even more than my affordability; am I caught by bad habits like excessive drinking; am I a careless eater; am I not giving my 100% at my workplace; etc. You have to identify all the leg pullers in your life.
Here I want to tell you the psychology behind this awareness. Often people think that it is difficult to change. This is because they focus directly on change. This is inappropriate in itself. I suggest a power formula. First identify the root cause. It is easy as you have to just give answer to yourself. Once you are aware of the root cause of the problem, change is the second thing, for which you have to take positive determined actions. For example, if you are obese and also have high cholesterol levels, you have to do certain things like morning walk, regular exercise, controlled diet, proper medication, etc. People think that it is difficult; but if you break this into two parts, it is not difficult. First part is that you should be aware of the situation. If you are aware that what you are required to do, which you are not doing, sooner or later, you will start working on it.
I take my own example. While returning from the office, I was habitual of stopping en-route to eat something, whether it is omelette, jalebi, chat or anything else. Once I inculcated awareness about the dangers of over eating these things, gradually these habits disappeared. When I became aware that I am obese, it took me about 2 months to start morning walk. I always kept postponing it for tomorrow, but I was aware that something is going wrong. Gradually, while returning home, my frequency to stop for eating something reduced. Slowly, the inner urge to eat pastry or ice cream got reduced. Slowly, I developed habit of going out for a morning walk, though initially, there were gaps but gradually, it became regular. The point is that awareness is first part and doing is second part. Only second part is difficult, but if we separate first part from second, it will become easier.
(In the next article, we will discuss about a very important habit, which can change your life forever. I believe that you are enjoying the journey towards the future of your dreams with me. If yes, please stay tuned every Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday. Happy G.O.P.T.A.)
Dr. Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, Creator & copyright holder of the concept G.O.P.T.A.© is an Author, Certified NLP Lifestyle Master Practitioner, Corporate Trainer & Motivational Speaker and recipient of Honorary Doctorate of Excellence (Management) by prestigious Young Scientist University, California, USA. He is Founder of ‘Read, Learn & Earn Movement’ and is popularly known among his fans & followers across the globe as ‘Time and Goal Guru’.
