I would wager there is not a person on this earth, that is over 5 years old, who does not have a habit they would like to change.  What is your habit?  Is it always being late?  Eating too much?  Oversleeping?  Do you have an addiction to caffeine or nicotine?  Perhaps you have a habit of chewing with your mouth open.  Or are you always looking at the negative side of a situation and expecting the worst?

Whatever your pesky habit is, it can be changed!

The first thing you need to do is look at the science behind a habit.  Your brain it full of neural pathways.  These are the superhighways of nerve cells that transmit messages.  You travel over these superhighways time and time again.  As you do so, these pathways become more and more solid, making the habit stronger and stronger.

Think about it, do you go to a specific food for comfort?  Do you do it time and time again?  If so, you are creating a pathway in your brain.  You are solidifying that superhighway, that neural pathway, and creating a “habit”.

But there is hope!  You are not doomed to keep that habit all of your life!  The brain is always changing and you can forge NEW pathways and create NEW habits!  That is the neuroplasticity of the brain!  3 cheers for neuroplasticity!!  Hip Hip Hooray!

So how do you make that change and create a new superhighway?

Here is a 3 step process you can implement today to abolish old pesky habits and create new fulfilling habits:

1. Identify and Set new Intention

The first thing you need to do is identify the habit you want to change.  Once you do that, you set a new intention – a new habit.  For example, you have a habit of always being late.  You identify that you are always late for appointments.  You then set the new intention that you are always on time for appointments.

2. Observe the Effect

Now you take time to observe what this habit is doing in your life.  In our example it may be making you anxious.  It may be causing you to break traffic laws.  Perhaps it is making you irritable or causing others to be irritated with you.  Determine the results of this pesky habit.

3. Shift your Focus

Now you are ready to create that new pathway and abolish the old one.  Now it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen if you are consistent.  Take your focus off that old habit and place it on the new one.

You must stop thinking “I am always late” and replace it with “I am always on time”.  Shift your focus.

A great way to solidify this exercise is keeping a gratitude journal.  Take time each day to write 10 things you are grateful for now that you have the new habit of being on time – and they cannot be the same 10 things you wrote yesterday!

You could use your list of effects as a springboard to get you started.  Things like:  I’m so thankful I am able to obey all of the traffic laws and be on time for my appointments.  I am grateful I arrive to my appointments feeling peaceful.  You get the idea.

There you have it!  You are now armed with a great tool to transform your pesky habits into new fulfilling habits!

Have fun using the gift of neuroplasticity and creating your new superhighways!