All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. - James Clear, Atomic Habits
Whether you like it or not, you have a routine. It's either by design or default. Once you become aware to this, your life will transform.
Malcolm Gladwell in his famously quoted book Outliers gives the formula of 10,000 hours equating to dominance in an area.
Michael Jordan's daily habits put him on the basketball court more than anyone on his team. His work ethic was unmatched.
Tiger Woods practiced at 4 in the morning for many years leading him to become one of the best golfers who ever lived.
Warren Buffett, one of the wealthiest men in the world reads 6 hours every day.
Bill Gates' day is meticulously mapped out to align his time and goals.
Here's a question I have for you, "are your habits aligned to what you want to become?"
What is your morning ritual and why? Is it aligned to what you want to become?
What does your schedule look like? Is it aligned with what you want to become?
There was a season in my life when every night before I went to bed I would have a glass of wine. Literally, nearly every night, and it was usually more than a glass.
This habit formed without me even realizing it.
When I wanted to stop, everything in me screamed. My mind screamed to go open a bottle of wine. My body would begin to taste wine. The habit had me under a spell.
Fortunately, I gained awareness of the issue.
Then, I understood what was triggering me.
Then, I removed everything in the house causing those feelings, and exchanged the habit with sparkling water.
Old habit gone, new habit formed. My body and mind felt incredibly better.
I not only felt better, but I had more clarity. I was more alert. I was generating ideas with more intention. My life was charged, clarity deployed.
Let's get into some practical ways of crushing bad habits. Many times with clients we go through a "bad habits" exercise together. It's a simple way to gain awareness and clarity so you can change a habit to something beneficial.
It goes like this.
First, write out the bad habit. In my case it was drinking 2 glasses of wine every night.
Next, identify the cue or trigger.
What is causing this habit.
In my case, it was boredom. I noticed the TV was on. I noticed certain shows and movies would trigger me to want to drink.
You have to take time with yourself and cue in on what is triggering you. It's not hard, but it does take time, patience and honesty with yourself.
Then, identify the reward of the bad habit.
For me, I was drinking wine because it made me feel good. It chilled me out. I even felt like it was a status symbol for me. It gave me that grown man vibe.
Find out the reward you feel when you engage in a bad habit. Whatever the habit may be, it is pleasure that you are seeking. By nature we avoid pain and pursue pleasure.
The more you become aware of this statement, the more clarity you will gain.
Next, identify the reward and begin experimentation.
What comes to mind as alternatives to the bad habit?
For me, I began experimenting with the following:
Taking a walk outside
Not watching TV
Replace wine with sparkling water
Reading a book
Removing wine from the house
Some of these experiments did not work for me. Going for a walk at night did not work for me. I was cold, frustrated and losing time spent with my bride.
What I found that worked best for me, was turning off the TV.
Once the TV was eliminated, there was so much clarity of what really mattered.
I played with the kids more. We played board games or I would watch them draw. We engaged more with each other. We laughed. We got creative and the results were transformational.
The last part of the exercise is to really identify the triggers of the bad habit.
Let me give you a couple areas to really focus in on:
What time of day do you get triggered?
What does the trigger feel like?
Who is with you?
Where are you?
Use a journal or something to write these down every single day. Aim for a couple of weeks to do this. It is tough at first, but after awhile you will see the pattern.
Clarity will explode in every area.
Once you nail down the pattern and the feelings, the change becomes easy. The more awareness you gain, the more clarity you receive. When you acquire the clarity, the destination seems easy.
Michael Jordan knew what he wanted to become. He put the habits in place to ensure he arrived at his destination.
The same goes for Tiger Woods, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and other greats like them.
I want to remind you of the champion you were created to be.
Maybe some bad habits have gotten in the way. It's ok, make the change you know you need to make.
I always tell people, I'm not the guy that's going to give you new information. I am the guy that is going to "confirm" what you know you need to do.
This is my assignment on Earth. It's to remind you of what you need to do. Time is limited, it's time to act.
I'm rooting for you.
This is my email.
Let me know how you are going and how I can help?
❤️ - Anthony Thompson
If you're ready to destroy fear and frustration so you can have clarity and significance, hit me up. Time to get serious with your life. Book a call