Use Motivational Pictures to Defeat Bad HabitsI don't believe the saying, "Old habits die hard." A habit does not become stronger simply because it is older; a life-long habit can be broken as easily as a new habit. A habit is just a repeated response to a trigger. It doesn't matter how long you have responded a certain way - what matters is if you have a strong enough reason to make a different choice. It is the lack of motivation to choose a different response that makes it hard to break habits. In order to change, you need a compelling reason to choose a different response. Without a good and strong reason, it is simply easier to not change. The challenge is not in overcoming the habit, but instead in overcoming the laziness that stops you from taking action. One of the best ways to eliminate an unwanted habit is to change your self-perception. If you perceive yourself as active, then you will be an active person. If you think you are bad with money, then you will make poor financial decisions. Or, if you do not think of yourself as a smoker, then you will not smoke cigarettes. You don't do things that aren't congruent with who you are. Perception is powerful because what we perceive is our reality. When I was three years old, my mom used to leave the bedroom door half-way open at night, which allowed the hall light to filter into my bedroom. I perceived the shadow on the ceiling to be an angry donkey. I would lie awake in bed, staring intently at its snarling face, ready to strike back if it tried to bite me. My fear was real, because I perceived the donkey to be real. That perception was my reality. Change your perception and your habits will change, too. Try playing motivational pictures in your head in order to alter your perception of reality. If you can see yourself doing it, then your perception will be that you can, indeed, do it. To become a regular exerciser, play motivational pictures of yourself taking a walk every morning, or see yourself doing 100 sit-ups before bed. Visualize the emotional benefits of your new perception, too: perhaps, you feel happier, more fit or more confident. Using motivational pictures for overcoming laziness is very effective. It doesn't matter how long you have had the habit. My Dad and I both interrupt people. He is 30 years older than me and has had this bad habit for longer than me. But, it doesn't matter how old a habit is - we both have the same ability to change and we have to go through the same process in order to change. When I began perceiving myself as calm, collected, and patient, I quickly stopped interrupting others. Likewise, when my Dad received feedback that his interrupting was seen as unloving, he instantaneously became a better listener. Change can happen quickly. When your self-perception shifts, your habits change. Playing motivational pictures of your new self takes just a few seconds and your habits can change just as fast. See yourself differently, and then you will be different.
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