Want to change your habits?

I read about a surprising way to form good habits and break bad ones. The article said to change your habits, change your identity. The concept was a reminder that how we see ourselves can dramatically affect our habits.

A paper published in 2011 by a team of Harvard and Stanford researchers found that people were significantly more likely to vote if they were asked prior to the election, “How important is it to you to be a voter?” and less likely to vote if they were asked, “How important is it to you to vote?”

So what’s the difference as noted in this study? The first question makes people think about who they are-not just about an action they might or might not take. Once someone identifies themselves as “a voter,” they no longer have to force themselves to vote-it becomes a natural thing to do.

The leader of another study coming out of the University of Pennsylvania said,

Something as simple as reflecting on core values can fundamentally change the way our brains respond to the..messages we encounter every day.

So what can you do? Label yourself as someone who already has the habit you want…or who doesn’t have the habit you want to break.

For example: If you want to exercise regularly, don’t tell yourself when you wake up in the morning, I’ve got to get out and go for a run…tell yourself, I’m a runner.

On the other hand, if you already have assigned yourself a negative identity, you can reassure yourself that it need not be permanent. Remember back to a time before this was your identity.

For example: If you often tell yourself, I can’t get in shape. I’m just build this way, remind yourself that there was a time back in childhood or early adulthood when you were more fit and active.

It’s just another reminder (and I think we all need these reminders) to focus on the words we choose, the images we imagine, and the feelings we want to have.

So…will you change the way you see yourself so you can change the way you act?