Humans are creatures of habit. It is unavoidable and we all easily fall into them. Whether they are good or bad, that decision is up to you. Habits play an important role in all our lives. Have you ever heard of the quote, “Show me your habits and I’ll show you your future.” Habits can indeed impact your ability to be successful. On the other hand, you may find yourself stuck in a routine without making any significant progress in your life. The good news is that it is possible to change from bad habits to great habits. Instead of breaking habits, we should be replacing them with much more productive ones. It is certainly easier to do so.

Understand that having great habits can benefit your overall life. Think about what type of great habits you can have? Eating healthy, working out, and sleeping early are all examples of great habits that can drive a better quality of life for you. How about in business? Learning one new thing every week, contacting one of your connections each day, and reading your email every morning is some of the many great habits you can develop even in business. You see, habits aren’t just for one area of your life. They should be applied in a positive way to a variety of different parts that make up the quality of your life. Health, relationship, business, and much more. Also, habits have a compounding effect. If you develop a great habit and follow it every day, the habit can lead to a successful outcome. The most successful people in the world understand that great habits can lead to great success. An easy one to understand is going to the gym every day is a great habit that will lead to overall weight loss and a better physique. If your goal was to be in shape, then the habit of going to the gym helped you achieve that goal.

Follow several of the best practices provided to help adjust your habits to be more meaningful and productive. If you take action and try to change your habits over time, you will start to notice success. On average, it only takes 21 days to form a new habit.

Shift Your Mindset 

Your mindset towards habits is the number one place you should start. The problem with most people is that they settle into the belief that they cannot change their habits and ultimately are trapped in a routine. It is not impossible to change a habit, but it starts with your mental approach. You need to shift from an “I Can’t” mindset to an “I Don’t mindset.” What does this mean? Psychology tells us that we automatically associate negativity with the word I Can’t. However, when you are trying to break a habit, saying I Don’t can be more empowering. For example, if your goal is to lose weight and your peer invites you to eat McDonald’s, it is much more empowering to say that “I Don’t eat Mcdonald’s.” What you say out loud has a feedback loop back on your mindset. Take advantage of it.

Create Your Plan 

Now that you are ready to shift your bad habits to great ones, you must put a plan in place. Set specific benchmarks that you should achieve that indicate you are headed in the right direction. Another tactic you can use is setup rewards once each benchmark is hit. Rewards are motivators you can use to maintain your course on the plan that you develop. An example of this may be if you are looking to lose weight. Each time you lose 5 lbs, your reward is 1 cheat meal. Without a plan or benchmarks to hit, you are guaranteed to miss your target. Take the time to write out your plan and review it every day. By doing so, you are reinforcing your will power to continue towards changing your habit.

Create Daily To-Dos

Now that you have your plan, small action steps each day will have greater results over time that add up from what you do daily. Each night before you go to bed, reflect on what you have accomplished for the day, and plan out what actions you need to take the following day to maintain your progress towards changing your habit. By getting specific and narrowing down your focus to daily tasks that you need to accomplish, you are guaranteeing yourself the potential to achieve a successful outcome.

Make Small Changes 

Going cold turkey can have a serious negative impact on your ability to change your habit. Depending on what habit you are looking to change, it is oftentimes better to stick to small consistent changes over time. This prevents you from relapsing from a dramatic shift in your ordinary habits. If you are a smoker and decide to quit smoking entirely in one shot, as good as that may be for you, you have a larger chance of a relapse in comparison to those that gradually wean themselves off of cigarettes. It only takes one moment to send you into a relapse. Slow and steady progress is always best when it comes to shifting your habits.

Accountability Partner 

Finally, one of the best actions you can take is to find an accountability partner. A close friend, relative, or partner who cares about you is a great resource as accountability partners. Sometimes having additional outside support helps you maintain the discipline needed to continue moving forward. They can hold you in line if you are beginning to shift away from the course. Using an accountability partner reinforces your chances of shifting your habits from bad ones to great ones. Work together with an accountability partner and make daily check-ins. Science shows when we commit to someone that we care about, we often hold to those commitments. Commit to your accountability partner and follow your plan towards changing your bad habit into a great one.