Habit Can Be MAGIC!

There are people who do things for no other reason than habit. When I smoked, every time I picked up the telephone I lit a cigarette. Habit. And when I contemplated quitting smoking, I actually had myself convinced that I wouldn't be able to write without lighting up. Really.

I did quit. I still write. So much for that.

So what kinds of habits do you have that you do almost unconsciously? What habits are robbing you of what you really want from your life?

Despite the bad habits I've had through my life – there have been a few – I'm still convinced that you can make habit your friend. You can use that automatic routine of doing something habitually to your advantage.

It's one of the reasons why I get even the most debt-encumbered person on a savings program. Establishing the habit of saving isn't hard. But you have to DO IT! For as long as you don't, you're missing out on a very good habit.

Habit is one of the things that can help you Get'erdone. If there's a single characteristic that differentiates the people who are successful from those who are less so, it's the ability to get things done.

So many people are waiting for the right time to start a good habit.

"I'll start walking every day when the weather is warmer, cooler, less rainy, less muggy."

"I'll start saving when I've paid off my debt, gotten a raise, eliminated this expense, found a way to balance my budget."

If you are waiting for conditions to be perfect, you'll be waiting a really, really long time. There will always be a "good reason" for you to delay acting. The fact is, if you want to do something differently, you must take action now to make it so. Get'erdone.

You may need to practice some of what you're planning to do before you actually do it. Hey, practice is a valid step in establishing a new habit. I quit smoking a dozen times before I quit smoking. But if there is something you really want to do, you've got to get the idea out of your head and into action. The longer you just think about it, the more that great idea you had will fizzle out.

You may be afraid of starting. What if you fail? What if you can't do what you want to do? What if it's hard? Anxiety over something new is natural.  But if you've watched what you've done through your life with any introspection, you'll notice that the waiting to do something new – the anticipation – is inevitably harder than the actual doing. Once you get going, you build confidence and things just seem to keep getting easier. Not to say there won't be bumps along the way. But moving is easier than contemplating moving.

Your friends can be great helpers when you're establishing a new habit. Have a friend who loves to walk? Go walking with her. Have a friend who loves to talk about money? Discuss your debt repayment plan with him. Whatever the habit you're trying to establish – automatic savings, tracking your spending, meditating – if you find a friend who has similar interest, (s)he can help to encourage the habit.

While you're establishing the habit don't get too far ahead of yourself. It's easy to decide to walk around the block a couple of times each day, and then imagine having to buy a whole new wardrobe because you've re-bodied yourself. But that expectation set too high can be the demotivating factor on the day that it's raining and you look down to see your pudgy belly and thick thighs even after weeks of walking. Ditto the debt repayment play. Set the "payoff day" unrealistically and debt fatigue will set in even faster.

Live in the present. Focus on what you can do now, and know that doing that will get you one step closer to your goal. After all, that's what habit is all about: acting consistently. Since only the things you do today will move you closer to your goal, you must focus on the small accomplishments of habit to keep your momentum going and get'erdone.

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