This ONE easy step can change unhealthy behaviors

Do you keep repeating old negative patterns? Are you feeling stuck in your ways?

No matter how stuck you may feel, you can change your behaviors or patterns that you don’t like. The best part is, it only takes one step.

Repetition! The ‘ole rinse and repeat method in action.

When we repeat something over and over, we are rewiring our brains to understand this new behavior.

It's an effective way of making important changes.

If there’s something that you want or need to change, such as your eating habits, getting organized, or the way you communicate, you have to begin by making a conscious decision to start doing something different.

Then, repeat that new behavior again and again and again.

For example, if you wanted to feel better about yourself, then you would make it a point, daily, to say positive self-statements such as: "I'm a great person, and I deserve to be happy." If you repeat this mantra with conviction regularly, you are creating new neural pathways in your brain.

Eventually, with consistent effort, these new behaviors become your norm.
 
When I teach someone how to become better communicators using the Relationship Protocol model, I tell them it is a process of “learn, practice and integrate.”

First, they learn the RP model, then I ask them to play with it by practicing and trying to use it in their everyday life. The more often they practice, the quicker the model becomes integrated as their natural way of thinking about their relationship.

This process happens because, over time, their brain started to recognize this new way of communicating as their new normal.

In the beginning, for any area of change, your new behaviors will be more like a “pretend” concept, because they are not natural yet and won’t feel comfortable. However, with consistent effort, your positive behavior changes will become more organic.

Yes, it might take a little longer for change to occur if old behaviors are deeply embedded in your mind, but new ones will eventually take form and begin to feel more comfortable.

You just have to stick with it.

Bottom line: Whatever you repeat, you are strengthening.

There’s power in having persistence. Go for it!

This article was also published on ThriveGlobal.com.