To paraphrase an insight of evolution theory, the species that will survive are those which are most responsive to changes. People and companies know they have to change but very often their efforts are doomed to fail because they simply don’t know how to go about it.
According to a study carried out by the Center for Creative Leadership, an entire 50-70% of organisational changes are unsuccessful. The leadingeffectively.com website claims initiatives fail and change is not implemented as planned. Meanwhile, on the personal level, a majority of people may make the same New Year’s resolution 10 years in row and still fail to fulfil it. This general inability to make changes carries enormous costs.
Habits are powerful
Research in the fields of neuroscience and leadership suggests that a significant portion of our daily activities is based on our habits. By creating habits, the brain conserves increasingly more energy that can be used in unfamiliar situations. By developing as many habits as it can, the brain can more easily manage the complexities of our daily routine. When, however, you are faced with a difficult and demanding project, bad habits such as overeating may become more ingrained and the consequences more severe. Your brain needs more energy and thus at such times relies even more on the habits.
How to fix bad habits
The process starts with an examination of your deepest beliefs. Recognise what you really think and what leads to the bad habits, which cannot do you any good. Might it just be the case that you are still young and think a slightly unhealthy diet cannot do you any harm? With other negative habits, the situation is similar to overeating. The next step is setting a goal.
Define a concrete goal and get support from others
Imagine the reward you will get by sticking to your goal. This is your motivation. In the case of overeating, it will most probably be the slim figure you will have. Where possible, try to get support from your friends and family: if you start giving up, they can help you. As time passes, your new, healthier habits become automatic and you will succeed in making the change.
-jk-