Habit Pattern V Thought Process

Important: GDPR Email Preferences

As you may already know, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will be coming into effect on 25th May 2018. We take your privacy seriously and we are working hard to ensure we comply with the new data protection laws. You can find out more about how we're doing this in our privacy policy on our website.

We want to make sure you continue to receive the latest newsletters, blogs, special offers and more.

As someone who has opted-in to receive our emails in the past, we’d like to give you this opportunity to confirm what you wish to receive:

Just so you know, if you don’t let us know what kinds of emails you want to receive from us, we’ll stop emailing you on the 24th May 2018 - you'll be missing out!

You are of course free to change your mind at any time – just follow the link at the bottom of any of our emails.

Habit Pattern v Thought Process

We tend to be creatures of habit.

For example: We each have our own individual habits of speech; our speech patterns make up a part of who we are.

We all have habit patterns of routine; we tend to do the same things in the same order, every morning. For instance, every morning I do the same things: I get up, shower, dress, make the bed, go downstairs and eat two eggs, drink orange juice and coffee. Then I walk Champ, the dog, then I go to work.

Same every morning. I do it almost without thinking. And that is the point. I do it almost without thinking.

Habits tend to eliminate the need for conscious thought. We pick-up a habit and after a short while it becomes ingrained and we repeat the pattern over again, without any thought.

Our behaviours become routine, predictable, repetitive and automatic. Done without consciously questioning them.

Which would be fine, if all our habits were GOOD habits.

But NOT all our habits are good.

Some habits are bad habits.

We all have bad habits. We all have some habits that are detrimental to our own progress or other people's comfort.

Some people are habitually late. Some people habitually swear too much. Some people habitually talk others down. Some people talk themselves down and make themselves sick, by the habitual use of self-destructive habits.

And they do it routinely, predictably, repetitively, and automatically. They do it without conscious thought, and it is enough to sink their chances of true happiness and success.

Replace the bad habits

Look at your habits, find your worst bad habit and smash it.

Replace it with a new discipline.

For example:

If you are habitually late, smash the habit and instigate the new discipline of being on-time.

If you habitually swear too much, smash the habit and replace swearing it with expletives that are not swear words. (I try to use the phrase, "Oh rats!" instead of swearing.)

If you habitually talk other people down, then replace it with the habit of dishing out a few kind words of encouragement. Make that your new speech habit.

And if you find it automatic to habitually talk to yourself in destructive, pessimistic or fearful ways, then take notice of that bad mental habit, and replace it with the discipline of talking to yourself about your goals for making a better future.

Don't take yourself for granted. Don't let your bad habits go undetected and unchallenged.

Instead, become conscious and thoughtful about your habitual routines and ask yourself, how can I improve on my current condition?

Replace automatic habitual action, with action based upon a conscious thought process.

Then you will win.

Personal Development Training

Personal Development Training

In order to improve your performance, you may need to develop your personal and professional skills: meaning: skills of communication, planning, prioritisation, motivation and personal confidence. If you want to learn more, then click here for personal development training.

Blogs by Email

Do you want to receive an email whenever we post a new blog? The blogs contain article 5-10 minutes long - ideal for reading during your coffee break!

Your Comments

Further Reading in Personal Effectiveness

• Peak Performance GAME Plan
  A strategy for achieving an objective is called a GAME plan. Have you got your GAME plan mapped out for your future? Follow these tips to set up your GAME plan today. Remember: Success begins with the setting of a goal.
  Read Article >
• Compartmentalise for a Better Work-Life Balance
  Keeping your work and home life separate is vital to maintain your health and happiness. Learn to compartmentalise the different areas of your life and don't let problems spill over into other areas.
  Read Article >
• Professional development standards
  Professional development standards Because you have Free will, your actions are not determined by what everyone else around you is doing, nor circumstances, nor fate. Every feeling and every action is preceded by a thought. You can control your thoughts. So you can control your actions; And since every feeling and...
  Read Article >
• How to Find the Good in any Situation
  Nothing is inherently good or bad. It depends on how you think about it, and how you respond to it. Don't always assume that a certain situation is bad news, learn to re-evaluate it.
  Read Article >
• How ARE you doing? What an excellent question
  How are you doing? What an excellent question Last week, my friend greeted me with the question: "Hi, Chris, How are you doing?" The thought struck me "THAT is an important question": "How are you doing?" It is an excellent question I decided to do an experiment and note the various...
  Read Article >