How easy is it for you to be pulled away from your intended action to create good habits?

When an offer to dine out, trumps your commitment to work out or your weekly scheduled meditation class quickly becomes monthly, because it seems there is always something more important to do.

Are you protecting your good habits? @Terri_Cole (Click to Tweet!)

There is an internal struggle between consistently taking actions aligned with your stated goals, and slipping back into comfortable and familiar behavior patterns that are not. This struggle makes remaining consistent, following through, and reaching your goals difficult.

Want to learn the key to consistency?

We all live in a world full of temptation that can steer us away from our goals. But I find that the the lure of your own mind can be more compelling than any external temptation. Often our lack of commitment to good habits starts not from the pull of outside influences, but from our thoughts and beliefs. Your inner dialogue may sound something like this…

‘I need to go to the gym today, but so I’m tired. Plus I just ate so, maybe I’ll go in an hour. But I really need to make sure I go today. Ugh, I have so much work to do. I know I’ll feel better if I go, but I also may feel anxious because I’m up against deadlines. Maybe I’ll just skip today. There’s always tomorrow.’

So you skip the action that feels important to you today, and perhaps the same inner dialogue or another life distraction keeps you away the following day, and the day after that. We all know there will always be a reason not to stick with your good intentions but you have to muscle though and give the desired behaviors ample time, space and repetition to become actual habits.

Good behaviors need nurturing in order to become empowering habits.

So how do you create, commit, and protect your good habits? Being mindful of the ways you self sabotage is a good starting point. Something needs to shift internally so that you feel so  aligned with your desired goals, that the actions required to reach them are prioritized as non negotiable. This shift can actually be quite simple. The act of protecting your good habits begins in your mind. Making simple shifts in your vocabulary from ‘should’ and ‘need to,’ to ‘want’ and ‘choose to’ can begin to create new neuro pathways in your brain. When you start to speak in a way that indicates good habits are a choice rather than something you are being forced to do, you’ll feel empowered and motivated, and more apt to willingly keep your commitments.

When you begin to shift your thinking and question ingrained thoughts and beliefs, something amazing happens. A recognition that YOU, not your thoughts, are in control of your choices. If you want to make changes but you find yourself coming up with excuses not to, be aware of your resistance. Notice how you feel when you are at a crossroads between choosing your desired good habits or being lured away. Remember that simple repetitive shifts in language can help nurture the behavior that you want to become an ingrained habit.

I am in awe of the power of our thoughts. They have the capacity to help or hinder you from living your best life, depending on how and IF you use them. When you can look at your thoughts as a valuable tool that you can use to reach your goals, they will become just that.

Now in the comments below write one good habit that you ‘want’ and are ‘choosing to’ commit to this week! Then make sure to visit and post on my FaceBook page, for inspiration and support as you begin to make this incredible mindset shift. I am psyched to connect with you, and remember, as always, take care of you.

Love Love Love

Terri

Terri Cole is a licensed psychotherapist, transformation coach, and an expert at turning fear into freedom. Sign up for Terri’s weekly Tune Up Tips and follow her on Twitter.