We all have some habits; they could be good or bad. But, what if you could change your life—become more productive, successful and rich—by cultivating just three habits? Wouldn’t you say, “Shut up and take my money – and tell me about those habits?” I know you would.
Okay. But, before revealing those three habits, let me tell you about an incident that turned out to be life-changing for me.
So, after graduating high school, I got my first computer, which is quite a luxury here at my place. What did I do? I started reading blogs from popular bloggers—Pat Flynn, Seth Godin, Ramit Sethi—and their books too. I started to love reading and It became my favorite pass time.
Days passed, and I started to witness amazing changes in myself. I felt more confident. My introverted behavior was vanishing and my outlook towards life became more positive.
I was astonished and pleased with this sudden transformation. But, I was baffled because I had never witnessed so many positive changes at once in my life ever before. Therefore, I started to dig deeper into the cause of this drastic makeover.
What did I find out? My habit of reading was responsible for the positive changes. I did further investigation, and came across the concept of “Keystone habits.”
So, what are the “Keystone Habits?”
Well, those habits that once acquired, lead to a chain reaction so that you end up with multiple good habits in your lifestyle.
For example, when people work-out regularly, they eventually start to eat a healthy diet and form distaste towards junk food.
There are dozens of these habits but, the three—that I feel remain the most important ones—are:
· READING: Develops a positive attitude, boosts confidence and makes you a knowledgeable person, thus, thrusts your career wagon. Legendary investor Warren Buffett credits reading for his ever-mounting success since he began his career.
· MEDITATION: We are all aware of the supernatural strength and agility Buddhist monks possess. They attain this by practicing meditation for years. The spiritual exercise makes you a man with rock-strong willpower, gets your creative juices flowing and makes you a better person.
· MAKING YOUR BED IN THE MORNING: Yes, the most controversial entrant to the list, yet, just as powerful as others. It turns you into a productivity beast by giving you a sense of accomplishment right after you wake up.
Now, “That’s cool. But, how do I develop them?” You might ask.
So, let me walk you through the process of developing one of these mighty habits. This is a three-step process; let’s get right into it by taking an example of reading.
1. KEEP THINGS SIMILIAR.
Keeping things similar means:
· Read at the same place every day.
· Start reading at the same time, Be it in the morning, or at night.
· Keep your reading duration the same every day. Read for 15 or 30 minutes or an hour daily.
· This may sound weird, but that’s how our brain picks “Cues” for habit formation. So, follow it religiously.
2. READ.
Now, after giving your brain the necessary “Cues,” do the procedure—that is ‘Reading.’
Read for whatever time you have decided beforehand, and try to be as regular as possible in following the routine.
Many people think that if they skip a day or two—their progress is completely lost. However, this is not the case. Although, you have to be consistent, skipping a day or two does not mean your hard work has gone into vain.
3. GIVE YOURSELF A REWARD.
This is the most important one. Never skip this part. Reward yourself with anything that gives you immense pleasure. It could be eating your favorite chocolate or watching your favorite TV show for a visual treat.
After some time, your brain starts to experience that pleasure without rewarding yourself. Therefore, you can stop that rewarding process after a while, and still stick to the habit.
There you go! Just follow this three-step formula, and you’ll be a master in the craft of habit formation.
Comments
Post a Comment