Creatures of habit

We are all creatures of habit.  Many of the things we do each day are done without even thinking about them.  We get up in the morning, shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, go to work or school and how much do we really think about what we are doing?   Sometimes I’ve been driving home and found myself turning onto my old street where I lived a few months earlier because my mind was thinking from habit.

When habits are helping us do normal everyday things, they are helpful because they save us a lot of time and energy from thinking about each and every little thing we do.  If we had to stop and figure out how to get dressed every day, it would certainly take us a long time to get going.

However, when habits are hurting us in some way, they create difficulty and destruction in our lives.  These are the habits that we need to do something about.

Research shows that it takes about 21 to 30 consecutive days to create a new habit.   Then we still need to consciously work at reinforcing the habit, but it becomes easier to continue doing the same thing.

If you are trying to break a bad habit by replacing it with a new habit,  it will probably require a longer period of time and much more work.   You will still be able to make good progress in 21 to 30 days and if you continue working hard, it will become easier every day.

Write your daily progress in a journal and review your previous notes to see how well you are doing.  Write reminders and stick them somewhere that you will visibly see them on a regular basis (fridge, mirror, door, bulletin board).  This will encourage you to keep going.  Work hard to create some good, positive habits and soon you will see positive changes in your life.

Blogging is great therapy

Writing is a powerful tool that can help you move forward in life.  When you write down your thoughts down on paper it can have a positive effect on your well-being.

Research shows that journaling can help you:

• reduce stress
• keep your brain active
• understand yourself better
• clarify your thoughts and feelings
• effectively solve problems
• keep focused on daily tasks
• reach your goals

Blogging is journaling that is shared with others.   There are definite benefits to blogging.  It helps you:

• get your emotions out by putting them down on paper
• think and listen better
• practice your creative writing
• connect with others who have similar interests
• become motivated
• expand your knowledge base
• learn how to research topics
• develop ideas

In my opinion, blogging is great therapy.  When you share your thoughts with other people and get positive feedback, it certainly can help boost your esteem.  Of course, you may get some negative feedback, but you have to accept that others may not always agree with you and you should consider it a learning experience.   Just keep your blogs informative, interesting and considerate of others.   Happy blogging!

 

 

 

10 steps to building confidence

Step 1—SELF-AWARENESS—Do an honest evaluation of your life, both past and present.  Determine the source of your problems and consider what changes need to be made.

Step 2—POSITIVE QUALITIES—Make a list of your positive qualities and start focusing on them by reading them everyday until  it becomes habit.

Step 3—POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS—Write down a few affirmations and put them where you can see them.  Start each day with a positive affirmation and repeat several times throughout the day.

Step 4—POSITIVE MATERIALS—Read inspirational books and listen to tapes, CD’s and DVD’s that will motivate you .   Do this every day and listen carefully to what the materials are telling you.

Step 5—POSITIVE PEOPLE—Surround yourself with positive, supportive people and go to places where you are accepted and uplifted.  Try to eliminate or reduce the time spent with negative people.

Step 6—SELF-ACCEPTANCE—Stop comparing yourself to others and trying to be like the unrealistic images of beauty sent out by the media.  Focus on your own unique strengths and abilities and give yourself praise for being the wonderful person you are.

Step 7—POSITIVE SELF-TALK—Be conscious of any negative thoughts and try to stop them from becoming negative words.  Try writing down your negative thoughts  in a daily journal and then re-word them into positive thoughts.

Step 8—SET REALISTIC GOALS—Determine what your goals are, write them down and work hard to achieve them.  Keep going even when you fail, learn from your mistakes and never give up.

Step 9—VOLUNTEER—Helping others will not only benefit the receiver, it will also benefit the giver.  Volunteering improves our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.

Step 10—ACTION—Listening  and learning will help get you started on your personal journey to find happiness and success in life.   Now it is time for you to take action and start working on making some positive changes.   People can help us, encourage us and support us, but we are the only ones who can change our lives.  So start right now and live the rest of your life POSITIVELY!!