Changing Habits Is Hard! Why Bother?

A lot of the habits and practices you have today seem to be serving you.

You decide to redo your bedroom. You spend weeks, even months on it. You read up on the latest decorating ideas, design the perfect layout and pick the perfect fabrics and colors. You finally commit and do it. You’re thrilled with the results.

Or it could be tax time. You haven’t thought about taxes since last year. But once again it is crunch time. You stress, stay up all night, sort through all of the papers, find everything you need and you do it. Once again, you file everything on time. This year you even get a refund.

It happens all the time – the process works. In the end you are successful. Why would you want to change habits that serve you so well?

The reason is that although the process worked, the habits don't serve you well. While you were redoing your bedroom or working on your taxes nothing else got done. You didn’t keep up with normal everyday tasks. You didn’t pay your bills. You didn’t eat well or exercise. You didn’t spend time with family or friends.

Was there another way you could have accomplished your goals without taking a huge toll on everything else in your life?

Change is never easy, especially when it means changing habits that work for you. When I’m working with a client we start by identifying one area of their life where the effort they are putting in is disproportionate to the benefits they receive. We then decide on small steps that they can take to help them along the path.

Is where you are today really good enough? Maybe it is time for you to step beyond your comfort zone and take that risk.

Are you ready to move beyond some of the habits that are "working" for you today and try something new? Can you use the abilities you already have more effectively? Are there new skills you want to acquire? Is there a class you would benefit from? Is there a support group you can participate in? Is coaching for you?

What is your next step going to be?