hotel-xenia
  • Home
  • About
  • Meditations
  • Online Courses
  • Articles
Contact
Menu
7-Step Process to Breaking Lingering Unwanted Habits

7-Step Process to Breaking Lingering Unwanted Habits

Published on April 4, 2019 On Mind, Work

Have a sticky habit that you just can’t kick? Here’s why this sixty-six day, seven-step process is sure to break that habit holding you down while forming new habits that will propel you forward.

If you want to be the best version of yourself, read this article. Though I warn you, it will take effort, a lot of effort on your part.

Newsflash! You are worth every bit of energy that you put into yourself.

We all have either heard of or done a 21-day challenge. However, there is a body of research from University College London (2009) that says you should actually aim for sixty-six days to create a new habit. Wow, I know. It sounds like a lot of days.

Truthfully, it depends in part on the difficulty of the habit you are going after and your consistency to practice or perform it. The good news is that it could take you as few as eighteen days. However, realistically, it will take a couple of months, and maybe as much as eight and a half for a behavior to become automatic. I extrapolate this to also mean if it takes you this long to create new habits, it is likely similar for getting rid of ones that do not serve you—notably, the sticky ones. While the number of days may seem a bit daunting, it is well worth the effort for the freedom you will gain in finally getting rid a bad habit, and creating a good one instead.

The following seven steps will help you in your journey to creating a better, brighter you.

1. Identify what is not working for you

Naming a habit that ill-serves you, helps to manage it by bringing awareness to it. You do this without judgment or shame. You are just pointing to ‘what is’ for you.

2. Realize the limiting belief(s) around what is not working.

When you can isolate thoughts that constrict your dreams, your abilities, the way you view yourself, you are better able to do something constructive about them.

Awareness Tip: You are not your limiting beliefs.

3. Think about who you would be if you did not have your limiting beliefs

This is where you start to see the freedom that is possible when you no longer buy into the erroneous ideas about yourself that drive the habits you find hard to break.

4. For sixty-six days, spend twenty to thirty minutes visualizing the person you would be without your limiting beliefs.

How do you act? Feel? When you are no longer shackled by untrue thoughts about yourself?

5. Throughout the day, make an effort to be aware of when your limiting beliefs seep into your thoughts.

When it happens, without judgment, shame, or a story, let go of the false idea versus attaching to it.

6. Keep a journal of how, and what, you are thinking and feeling each day.

This is cathartic.

7. On the sixty-sixth day, re-read your daily entries to see how much more aware you have become about your thoughts.

Notice the ways your limiting beliefs have changed. What impact do they now have on you? Hopefully, none at all.

Suggestion: start today!

Author Links

Medium
Thrive Global

Recent Posts

3 Soul Questions to Ask When Feeling Unmotivated
Apr 26 These days many of us are finding ourselves on Zoom...
Dealing with Challenging Emotions During Challenging Times
Mar 31 Several years ago, when I was supposedly already well on...
Why Science Says Helping Others Makes Us Happier
Feb 8 Helping others or “Doing unto others” could very well be one...
Previous Post Next Post
Life is like a camera...
focus on what is important, capture
the good times, develop from the negatives,
and if things do not work out...
take another shot.™

© 2022 Sojourn Wholebeing is a brand of The Sojourn Experience
  • Home
  • Contact
  • The Sojourn Experience
  • The Sojourn Experience
  • Sojourn Explorers
  • Sojourn Media Group

Follow Sojourn Wholebeing

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT