Why is it so hard to develop positive habits?
Look at the above images, what would you rather do? Write something, rake your mind to come up with a perspective that not only convey your thoughts to your readers but also add value. Difficult. Instead I can just sit back, relax and watch the new movie on Netflix. Much more relaxing and comfortable. I am tempted to do the latter.Again, same exercise. Would you work out in the gym even though you already feel sort of tired or would you sleep for more time especially after the day you have had.In both the above cases, the second scenarios are convenient, payback is immediate and entertaining. However, the first scenarios demand more from you and the payback if any is way into the future. But long term, the first scenarios play out well.How can we develop good habits then?First of all, define why you want to inculcate certain positive habit. Just because everyone in your circle goes to gym for fitness does not mean you have to do the same. You might want to take up a sport, swim or run for the same goal. The habit if not 100% aligned to your interest should hold some interest to you otherwise, we are planning for failure.Secondly, we have to work to create an artificial reward for the positive habit that we intend to inculcate. Worked out today, may be have a chocolate shake, or watch a movie or whatever is the reward that excites you. Over time, the positive habit itself becomes the reward and gets wired in our brain.What else can be done?Start Small and build: I for one struggle with certain positive habits. I set ambitious goals, unable to do the same, I get disappointed and finally lose motivation and quit. So it might be prudent to start small and build upon it. Take pleasure in the process and wait for result to come in.It may be hard to develop positive habits but the effort is worth it, so don’t give up and if at first you don’t succeed, try try again.All images have been copied/taken from Google Images.
How can someone develop the habit of good thinking?
Habits are often a consequence of our beliefs and values. Repeated thinking of happiness being in those trains of thoughts leads to taking action on those thoughts, which eventually leads to forming habits upon finding apparent happiness in the results of those actions.Also, realize that thoughts are coming from impressions formed from acquired knowledge. Knowing this, it is important to make sure that your thoughts and subsequent choices which will form habits eventually are rooted in proper wisdom.So, we can see that habits have a source and they can be changed by changing our thoughts.To think positive is also a consequence of repeated practice of harboring thoughts of gratitude, peace, kindness, happiness, etc. Along with practicing optimism, one has to simultaneously eradicate negative thoughts and emotions by cutting them at the roots with proper knowledge and wisdom.Watch this amazing video on how to eliminate negative thoughts and bring in positive thoughts, which will eventually turn into a life changing habit:
Do habits control your instinct to think positive?
Yes,It does control your instinct to think positive.Thinking negative is itself a negative habit. So to think positive you have to make a habit of positive thinking.So In order to do that you have to control your thoughts as well as your thinking.Just keep in mind that good habits has to be created and bad habits is created by itself.
What are some good thinking habits?
The single most effective thinking habit that I know is cause and effect. Every action leads to other actions, and every action is caused by some other action.Most people don’t fully consider the cause and effect of their actions and beliefs. They do not think through, in real detail, what will happen in reality if they take a particular action. Instead, they think about what they want to happen, or worse yet don’t think about it at all, but just act without considering the consequences.In doing so, people tend to discount aspects of reality that either they don’t know about, because they haven’t done enough thinking, or aspects that they don’t like. They operate in denial, kidding themselves that negative consequences won’t occur.This is why politicians make decisions that decimate people’s lives, usually on the basis of ideological biases that blind them to real world consequences. Right-wingers believe that cutting benefits will motivate people to work, but fail to account for the fact that there are no jobs. Subsequently people are plunged into poverty. Left-wingers campaign to save jobs that have been made redundant by new technologies, overlooking the fact that this is unsustainable. People don’t bother voting, or say that they are “not into politics”, without considering the wider reality of large numbers of people thinking in this way.Salespeople sell dreams that can’t be delivered, and leave the service department with the nightmare of delivery. Senior managers come up with brilliant ideas, failing to consider how they will be implemented, and then blame everyone else when they don’t work.Whenever you’re making a decision, be very aware of your biases. Notice that what you want to happen will cause you to discount evidence against your idea and exaggerate evidence in favour. A good thinking habit is to put much more focus on the downside of getting what you want, and the upside of not getting it. Think through in forensic detail, in reality, what your decision will cause. Make sure you are not deluding yourself into believing it will work out better than it actually will.This will help you to make better decisions, make you a better negotiator, because you will be less likely to take up an immovable position, and prepare you for the times when things don’t go your way, because you’ll already have considered a contingency.