5 Tips for Creating New Habits

If you are anything like me it easy to speak my dream. In fact I dream big and I have always dreamed big dreams since I was a young girl. When I look back to when I was growing up I have consistently dreamed, I have consistently desired bigger things for myself, but I had never accomplished much. Why?!?! MY BAD HABITS!

A lot of bad habits created a lack of follow through on my dreams... fear, insecurity, doubt... they all drastically impacted the direction I was heading and how much I was actually DOING the things I wanted to do. These habits clearly made it difficult to have the confidence to pursue my dreams. As a result, my determination to accomplish big goals suffered.

I would say in the last year I have been able to teach myself new skills to rid myself of certain bad habits. Specifically, I had to learn how to disengage the fears, insecurities, and doubts I had developed as a young girl. Now a 20-something woman, I am teaching myself new habits as if I were a 4-year old girl preparing to entering my first year of school. When I disengaged my fears and no longer gave power to my insecurities, my determination rapidly increased. It has become somewhat of a snowball effect. The more I started accomplishing my dreams and goals, the more I wanted to get done. The more I saw what I could complete in one day, the earlier I wanted to get up. The more I saw what I was learning helping other people, the more I wanted to meet and interact with new people. It all came down to teaching myself new habits.

Here are 5 things that have helped me create new habits and have helped me find my determination-

1. Rule #1 is to find passion and desire in whatever it is you are about to do. If you don't LOVE something and if you aren't PASSIONATE about your goals/dreams... you aren't going to have fun at all! Find what you love doing... whatever you love doing is generally what you are good at. Your passion is usually rooted in those things.
2. Start with a POWER GOALS list! These are the biggest goals you have. From there, break your goals down in to 6 month long goals. What will you accomplish in 6 months? From those goals create smaller monthly goals. Each goal as you break down your list should ALWAYS link back in some way to your POWER GOAL. Finally, set smaller weekly and daily goals. Something as simple as sending 1 email to a company you want to be sponsored by or complete 4 days at the gym. Remember to link your daily goals back to your POWER GOALS.
3. Get up 15 minutes earlier for 1 week. From there, increase it to 30 minutes earlier. Getting up earlier in the day will allow you to accomplish more. Your brain and drive feeds off of getting more done. When you start to cross more off of your to-do list each day or when you are able to get the dishes done before you leave for work, you feel more accomplished. Use that time to pack your bags or lunch for the day. Get everything ready and by the door so you can head out for your day smoothly. The more accomplished you feel, the more that determination will follow you throughout the day.
4. Write it down!! I am a huge advocate for writing down dreams, goals, and plans! Get yourself a journal, write on the bathroom mirror with dry erase marker, put quotes at your work station! The more you see your goals and dreams looking back at you, the more reminders you will have as to what YOU WANT!
5. Go the extra mile for everyone and anything you do! One of my mentors tells me, "Under promise and over deliver!" When you are completing tasks with passion and desire, it fuels your own fire. I completely understand that there are things at work you just don't enjoy doing... there are people you don't like... but in an effort to develop new habits, SUCK IT UP! We are trying to develop new habits and in doing so, we have to practice on everyone we encounter!

It takes 21 days to create a new habit and I believe it. You won't be perfect the first time and WE ALL trip up at times, but give it 21 days! 21 days to see what is possible.
Question yourself...
What if I got to the gym 4 days out of the week for the next 3 weeks?
What if I started to meet new people that could potentially help me land my dream job?
What if I got up 30-60 minutes earlier each day and organized my home?
WHAT IF?!?! NOW DO!!!!
Be the productive, happy, self-loving person we all desire to be friends with! Why not you?! You have the power to become!