We’re doing a lot of stuff on autopilot. A lot. But this auto pilot thing is not necessarily a bad thing. The moment you harness its power you got yourself a big thing. Try to integrate in this category new things you want to attract into your life. Habits are powerful. Harness their energy for your own good. Start by creating a habit in 15 days.
The more you do something you like, the more you like doing it. Pick some things you like doing, things that will make you feel better or even be better, and start to incorporate them into habits.
The subtle advantage of creating a habit for something you like is that you will be able to free a lot of energy for experimenting other things. You will do the good stuff on auto pilot. And that will translate into more personal power and a stronger will.
How To Create A New Habit
There are tons of information on the internet about this topic. But what worked for me is to break it up in 3 little chunks.
First, identify the result. What would you like to achieve? Suppose we’re talking about running, about becoming a runner. What does it mean to be a runner? You need some basic gear and, of course, time. Start with identifying these tiny little parts.
Second, picture the new shape of your world, WITH your habit integrated. For instance, if you run, try to project as accurately as possible the new reality, with all the new actions integrated. Write them down. Make drawings if that works best. Just put them in an understandable form and look at them like you look at a blueprint.
And third, just do whatever it takes. No thinking. No planning. No delays, no second guessing, no nothing. Just do it.
I found out that this approach really works.
Now, at a very subtle level, habits are very, very important. If you take the time to “browse” through what you think you are, as a human being, you will discover something that will feel very disturbing once you get your head around it. Your body. Namely, the ways you body works without you being involved. The breathing. Heart beating. All those cellular processes taking place without your consciousness. Believe it or not, these are based on habits. Your heart beating is the most important habit you have. It’s fundamental. It offers your body the fundamental flow of energy it needs to function second by second.
Imagine now how many other habits you can create. How many “heart beatings”, so strong an so powerful you may acquire, if only you would take the time, the will and the daily practice to make that happen.
For instance, one of the most overlooked habits is the habit of being happy. It’s just a habit, you know. Like brushing your teeth. Once you acquired the habit, once you locked it in, you don’t need motivational posters anymore. Nope. You just get out, take the tooth brush and brush your teeth. It should be exactly the same with the habit of being happy.
further reading
I really agree with you with happiness as a habit. Just I never thought in this way. First I tried to discover what made me happy and I start doing something in that direction very very often. Now I am happy even when it rains 🙂