Quick question…
Is exercise just a new year fad?
It’s more than half way through the year and most people have given up on their new years resolutions ages ago.
I was re-listening to an audio of mine called ’The Power Of Habit’ by Charles Duhigg and there was a quote in there that I love: “The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.”
It made me think that before you realise you can fall into bad habits which are very hard to change so that’s why it’s important to build new positive habits all the time. It is essential that these habits are practised and we remain focussed on them.
I also recently heard a saying that “All the heavens and hells are inside of you”
I took this to mean that the mindset you take in your approach to anything is your choice. Habits of the mind dictate the heaven and hells inside of you.
Change your mind change your life. 
Thought I’d share that with you all.
Hope you found this insightful. If you had anything to add to this I’d love to hear from you. Also you may not agree with these thoughts and it would be great to hear your viewpoints too so please leave a comment.
Hi Mark, two great quotes, thank you.
I really think they’re great quotes because I can actually visualise them. When I think of, for example my own good habits (running daily) and bad habits (smoking)… I find it hard to break my running habit which is great. Whereas I should start to build up new habits to replace my smoking habit. And bring the weight of “heaven” inside myself up by increasing the number of good habits to bring the weight of “hell” down.
Great to know. Thanks again,
Ray
Hi Ray, thanks for your comment.
Great to hear you are building healthy habits. If you can attach enough pain to smoking and enough pleasure to quitting and living a healthy, happy, long life you’ll be able to quit the smokes. Go to a hospital and visit some lung cancer patients, google images of lung cancer, I know it sounds extreme but it takes extreme action to create extreme results. The pain of not wanting to end up like them could be the tipping point to help you stop smoking.
Also you could try taking it step by step. If you smoke 1 pack a day try taking it down to half a pack a day, then 3 cigarettes a day, then 2 then just 1 a day. Once your on 1 a day try a day with out any, then 2 days, then 3 then a week, etc. You get my point right?
I smoked for years and quit by stopping altogether (plus many other things helped) but that doesn’t always work for everyone.
Let me know how your journey goes.
Why is so complicated to form positive and healthy habits and why is it so damn hard to make consistent change? How can we have a big will to become person with out bad habits, and still see so small progress? We all have hopes and most of the time just do nothing…
Only 10% of people do something for better, healthier tomorrow other 90% of them are “fat smoking lazy food-junkies” So, am I 🙂
Hi Marcus, I think as humans we tend to go to the easier option to save energy (physically and mentally). Forming habits is hard work at first but after consistent effort as been appealed whatever habit your trying to form becomes easy and natural.
Thinking of the long term happiness and progression as opposed to short term moments of pleasure is what can really motivates me. Have you read Tony Robbins book ‘Awaken The Giant Within’?
“All the heavens and hells are inside of you†…Man that is powerful. I’m going to have to save that one for future use. I remember reading The Power Of Habit and liking the explanations for our behavior, I just wished there were more implementation strategies to help move forward. What has helped you combat your own bad habits?
Hey, thanks for your comment. The power of habit is an awesome book.
Repetition as helped me create new habits. Doing something so many times until it becomes natural and feels wrong or weird if you don’t do it. An example is brushing your teeth, it’s not a natural human necessity like eating, finding shelter etc but it’s a habit you’ve built. It’s been instilled in you from a young age, If you don’t do it it doesn’t feel right, somethings off. So do something consistently for enough times and it won’t be hard or challedging to do, it’ll become a habit. I feel that way now when I don’t workout for a few days, I feel weird, not myself. I’ve created the habit of consistent exercise.
Exchanging old habits for new ones too and habit stacking helps.