TELL THE TRUTH (please)
Telling the truth about any habit – from
chewing our fingernails to cheating on tests – frees us. Without taking this
step, our efforts to change might be as ineffective as rearranging the deck
chairs on the Titanic. Telling the
truth allows us to see what’s actually sinking the ship.
When we admit what’s
really going on in our lives, our defenses are down. We’re open to accepting
help from others. The support we need to change the habit has an opportunity to
make an impact.
CHOOSE AND COMMIT TO A NEW BEHAVIOR
It often helps to choose a new habit to
replace an old one. First, make a commitment to practice the new habit. Tell key
people in your life about your decision to change. Set up a plan for when and
how. Answer questions such as these: When will I apply the new habit? Where will
I be? Who will be with me? What will I be seeing, hearing, touching, saying, or
doing? Exactly how will I think, speak, or act differently?
Take the student
who always snacks when he studies. Each time he sits down to read, he positions
a bag of potato chips within easy reach. For him, opening a book is a cue to
start chewing. Snacking is especially easy, given the place he chooses to
study: the kitchen. He decides to change this habit by studying at a desk in
his bedroom instead of at the kitchen table. And every time he feels the urge
to bite into a potato chip, he drinks from a glass of water instead.
Richard
Malott, a psychologist who specializes in helping people overcome
procrastination, lists three key steps in committing to a new behavior. First, specify your goal in numerical terms whenever
possible. For example, commit to reading 30 pages per day, Monday through
Friday. Second, observe your behavior
and record the results – in this case, the number of pages that you actually
read every day. Finally, set up a small consequence
for failing to keep your commitment. For instance, pay a friend one quarter for
each day that you read less than 30 pages.
Truth always prevail in the end. Even if it's bad, always tell the truth. It is important that if we do have bad behavior in our daily lives, we should change that. No one can change your behavior totally except yourself. It's really up to you on how to change yourself, but your advice will help them that it's not too late to commit themselves into a new behavior.
ReplyDeleteMarie
I remember last time that I was telling lies to my parents that I always go to school. But when they find out that my grades are very low, it was revealed by my professor that I skip classes, and my parents are mad at me. So I apologized to both my parents and my professor, and promised not to skip classes again. So I changed my attitude by reporting to classes early, completing my assignments and projects, and even studied very hard to become a graduate.
ReplyDeleteTelling the truth to anyone is very important, lies won't let us win in our daily lives. If you want to have a good reputation to the community, always tell the truth and commit yourself to have a very good behavior.
I'll keep up to your upcoming posts, as this one really motivates me now.
Chris
I agree, be truthfull to yourself and those around you about the habit you are working to change, or develop. Any difficult challenges are always easier with the support of those you love.
ReplyDeleteLoving your site! Lots of great inspirations and advice to read. There are times that we have habits that we are not aware of doing unless people will notice it and tell you about it. This happened to me once. So it would be good if you confide or ask others of what they notice about you. It helps a lot especially in breaking the bad habits!
ReplyDelete