A Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step - Part 4 - the power of habits

Habits are an important part on any journey. 

We are all creatures of habits whether we are aware of it or not. Driving is a product of habit. Habits are formed by continuous repetition.

When embarking on a new journey, we might need to learn or acquire new habits. For instance, over the years, you might be gaining weight, then you need to change habits if you want to start losing weight.

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Albert Einstein

Weight Watchers know it and they work a lot on changing eating habits through their program. Once you lose the weight, you might need to change your eating habits again. Many people fail and regain weight because they don't actually go the extra mile and change their habits. They still have the same relationship with food. They eat when stressed, bored, excited, happy, or participate in social eating. In order to successfully keep the weight off, you need to change your eating habits completely.

According to research, it takes 6 weeks to change habits, until they become your new habits. During this time (don't get discouraged if 6 weeks are not enough, some habits might take longer), you might have slips as old habits might be hard to overcome. Use these slips as learning opportunities. As we discussed in a past blog post on this series, each mistake is just a learning opportunity. Embrace it, analyze it and make a specific plan for the next time you encounter a snag.

To learn more about the power of habits read Charles Duhigg's excellent book, The Power of Habit.

Source: http://charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit/