We’ve all been there. Something has embedded itself into our brains and we can’t stop thinking about it. Ruminating, or overthinking, is a common behavior that most people can relate to on some level.
Whether it’s something someone said, something you did, rehashing the past, or worrying about the future, it’s monopolizing your thoughts, and it can become a real problem. At the very least, it can be annoying, undermine your confidence, and prevent you from taking action.
Imagine this scenario. You’ve just moved house, and for the first time, you’re doing a weekly shop. The route is almost the same – you haven’t moved far in this scenario – but with slight differences. You buy your food and head home. As you drive home, you realise you’re not driving home, you’re driving to your old place. The route shares some similarities. You feel a little silly. Chances are you say to yourself:
Force of habit.
That age-old saying has, well, become a habit for most people. Your brain and body will latch on to routine systems, experiences, and processes in the form of habits, whether you like it or not. Your brain craves routine, so when you provide it with repeated actions, you’ll find yourself latching on – even if you know it might be bad for you.
Every day we make choices and have routines and habits that make up our daily lives.
Some habits are clearly better than others.
So, what habits are going to make the biggest difference in your life?
And what can you do that will really impact your overall wellness in the best way?
Most people will agree that consistency can bring smoother experiences, transitions, and more predictable expectations. On the other hand, being inconsistent can promote confusion, delays and disappointments.
Consistency helps you stay on track toward your goals, and helps to develop discipline and self control. It can lead to increased progress and promote confidence. Through repetitive, sustained efforts, a habit of consistency can take you to a higher level.
Greek Philosopher Aristotle gave us these timeless words of wisdom,
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
So, what can you do to become more consistent in your daily routine? What kinds of actions might help to develop the skills and incentives to become more consistent?
Here are 5 habits you can develop to help master consistency.
Sleep. There’s no hiding from it. You can postpone it as much as possible, but it’ll eventually claim you. Rather than fight it or bemoan how little sleep you’re getting, it’s best if you learn to use sleep to your advantage. If you do, you’ll be fighting fit on all fronts – everything will seem more possible and life will be filled with a base layer of energy.
It’s easy to see why not prioritising your sleep makes your life not just more difficult, but a slog from minute one. According to some research from the University of Chicago, a four to five-hour sleep can reduce a man’s testosterone levels to that of a man 10 to 15 years his senior. Its biological power must not be underestimated. A lack of sleep is fundamental to our everyday existence.
In houses worldwide, you’ll find neatness personified; cutlery organised according to its purpose, colour-coded bookshelves and even seasonally-racked clothes. In many of those houses, you’ll also find a ‘messy drawer’ – a slice; a taster, perhaps – of the human brain’s capability for facilitating disorganisation. It’s a dumping ground for the miscellaneous items we can’t quite seem to find a designated home for, but at the same time, its value isn’t lost on its owners.
Confidence is much like the wind. It wields immense power and can sweep you away at a moment’s notice, yet it can fall flat in an instant. Its speed and ferocity change day by day and can alter the way you live your life in small and dramatic ways.
For instance, one day you may feel flat, only for a wave of confidence to wash through and propel you forward into a previously unanticipated state of being. Then there’s the gentle breeze – a stable confidence that continually nudges you in the right direction.
Most people have regular routines and habits they do each day. And most of the time, we do them without thinking too much about it. Things like getting out of bed in the morning and having coffee, brushing our teeth, and getting dressed are common habits we do without a lot of preplanning.
Habits are established by consistently connecting neural pathways in our brains that create strong bonds. According to research at Oxford University, the average adult has 41% fewer neurons than the average newborn baby. So why aren’t babies smarter than adults?
Do you ever wonder how you got where you are? Have you considered the circumstances and events that brought you to this point in your life?
In his book, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Aron Ralston recounts the steps and choices he made that led him ultimately, to a life-threatening situation that changed his life. If anything had been different, it could have resulted in an entirely different outcome.
Do you have a bad habit or two? Most people do. While good habits can be helpful, and make it easier to live happy, healthy lives, bad habits can make things more difficult to achieve our goals, and to be the people we want to be.
So if you have a bad habit that’s creating problems for you, it should be easy to just stop doing it, right? Well, no. As most people would agree, it’s not that easy. Stopping a bad habit can be nearly impossible depending on how deeply rooted or physically addictive that habit may be. But turning it into a better habit, could be the trick to making the change.
So how do you change a bad habit into a good habit?
