Making "What if it works?" A Habit

Creating a new habit, whether it's exercising more, changing your diet or writing a blog post every Wednesday, requires repetition. But how often does it need to be performed before it no longer requires mass amounts of, sometimes complete exhaustion of, self-control? It's going to depend on the type of habit you're trying to form and your desire in pursuing your goal. So are there any general guidelines for how long it takes before behaviors become automatic? No need to Ask Google-- I've done it for you--you'll get a figure of somewhere between 21 and 28 days. Getting back to the type of habit you’re trying to form… As you'd imagine, drinking a daily glass of water becomes a habit or “automatic” very quickly but doing 50 sit-ups before breakfast requires more dedication. Based on studies what this boils down to is that when we want to develop a habit like drinking a glass of water each day or doing 50 sit-ups before breakfast, it could take us over two months of daily repetitions before the behavior becomes a habit. And, while research suggests that skipping single days isn't detrimental in the long-term, it's those early repetitions, 21 days, which give us the greatest boost in habit forming. Shifting gears just a bit, when creating a new habit of exercising more, eating healthy, getting more zzz’s and limiting stress, you may find yourself in a sea of DOUBT. Doubt can be a bad word! Too much doubt can stop us living our lives to the full. Here's the stink of it, we never really know what the outcome of our decisions will be, that's the nature of life. But the person who wallows in doubt never gets anywhere. At some point, after a little looking, you've got to leap. I read that recent studies have uncovered two steps which point to a possible path for escaping the doubt habit. Step one: Shake Your Head. The physical action of shaking your head while thinking about your uncertainty causes one to cancel out the other. Step two: Doubt Your Doubt. When I read this particular step, I thought… “Um what? A bit counter-intuitive don’t you think?” But read on, it makes sense... This particular study makes the case that lack of confidence in your own thoughts is beneficial. For some people having confidence in their doubts just leads to more procrastination, self-handicapping and worse. While shaking your head can't be considered a miracle cure by itself, when used in tandem with doubting your doubt you can work to dispel the original doubt. Taking you back to the creating a habit thing--Brenda is always talking about the danger and the benefit of “what ifs.” Based on what I've just told you, She’s totally Nailed it! “What if” becomes dangerous when based on the premise of doubting your ability to create the habit of exercising more, eating healthy, getting more zzz’s and limiting stress. Good news everyone, “What If” actually does become beneficial when based on the premise of a positive outcome mindset…This is going to WORK! Even more good news, you are NOT alone in this habit creating process. You will have a battery of support which includes, just to mention a few, Brenda, Michelle and of course Me. In theory, with more people working together to change one person's habit, you are in a stronger position. It's not just that we are here to be your cheerleader; it's also that it increases self-awareness and makes the healthy habits permanent. You've already made the decision for a healthier lifestyle through fitness and nutrition, now just use the “What If” to your advantage. Exploit it! Chat Brenda’s mantra…”To Be Positive Is To Be Successful!” Be open to change, be non-judgmental and avoid punishing yourself for pitfalls. Have an excellent rest of your day and remember, BBC is your biggest fan! Talk to you soon, Melissa