THE DESIRE FOR CHANGE

In order to change long-established habits, you must want to change. Note that desire was the first step in our change model. It was discussed from the previous post. What we suggest is not simple, and change is not for everyone. All the suggestions in the world are worthless if you don not want to change. And changing the way you use your time is largely a voluntary effort. You cannot force others to use their time well and they cannot force you to use your time well. The "want to" must come from within.

Habit change is extremely difficult, but it is crucial for all serious-minded people who wish to use time well. To improve your efforts to eliminate self defeating habits and replace them with self reinforcing habits, try following these approaches:

STEPS IN BEHAVIOR CHANGE

There are five steps involved in successful behavior change:

1. Desire

2. Knowledge

3. Visualization

4. Planning

5. Action

No change will take place without the desire to make a change. How much do you really want to change your work habits so you will function more effectively? Desire is the key to success or failure. If you have a strong desire, you will probably initiate the change. But if you really don't want to make the change, you will probably never do so.

LAUNCHING NEW BEHAVIORS

Years ago, the famous psychologist William James suggested an approach to changing habits which remains valid today. He recommended that you:

1. Launch the new behavior as strongly as possible.
2. Seize the first opportunity to act on the new behavior.
3. Never let an exception occur until the new behavior is firmly rooted.

Before you can launch a new behavior strongly, you must define what the new behavior is to be. How would your proposed behavior improve upon your present habits? What would you do and how would you do it?

HABITUAL BEHAVIOR

It has been said that people control habits, but habits control destinies. It is a good part  in our lives is spent in a habitual fashion. Much of our daily behavior is patterned and routine. Habits by definition are behaviors that have been performed so often that they have become automatic. This means that habitual behavior operates just below our consciousness threshold. When we are preoccupied, or acting habitually, we are not free to manage our time. We are not simply as alert as when we are acting non habitually. Managing time requires accurate observation of what is taking place.

People tend to assume that habits are always bad. This is not true. Many habits are quite beneficial. If we had to consciously decide on everything we did during the day, life would become quite unbearable. Once we learn to do something well, automatic habit control is a blessing.

HOW CAN YOU BUILD BETTER HABITS ON THE JOB?

One good approach is work segmentation. Examine the different kinds of work you do in the office. If you arrange to do particular jobs in specific spots, you will concentrate better and avoid distractions. Segment your job as many ways as possible so that you have a particular place to do each kind of work. Then whenever you approach a particular work area, you will automatically start thinking about the kinds of tasks you normally perform there.

If you can do each task at a specific time, the arrangement will be even better. If you are interrupted and must do something else, switch to the appropriate location. If you begin to think about other things, get up and move for a few moments, then come back. Think of yourself as a television series: same time, same place, same content.

CHANGING HABITS SUCCESSFULLY

Everything is related to everything else. Events do not stand as isolated instances in our lives: they are related to other times, places, and things. A change in one part of our life, therefore, has a direct impact on other parts of our life as well.

Habits are difficult to change because they too are interconnected. A single action becomes a cue for some of our action, which in turn maybe a cue for still another behavior. In this way, we develop habit sequences that form a vigorous mode of patterned behavior. An important example of patterned behavior is the early morning rituals. What activities take place during the first 60 minutes and how valuable are they? 

CHANGING FOR THE BETTER

You can change. you can be better. Begin right where you are, whenever you choose. start with simple activities. For example:

1. Do something you don't want to do.
2. Do something you want to do.
3. Spend a few minutes every day in meditation.
4. Be of benefit to someone else every day.
5. Make a list of things you like to do, things you want to do and things you have done successfully in the past.
6. Set a goal for yourself.
7. Turn off the TV and read a good book.
8. Break a habit, any habit.
9. Do something constructive to make yourself a better person.

TIME HABITS AND SUCCESS

 Habits are important to success. people form habits, but habits form futures. if you don't form your habits consciously, you will form them unconsciously. Unconsciously formed habits are seldom as good as conscious ones. To find better ways to use your time, you must change your habits.

Time use is a habit. To improve, you must discover your present habits and change the ones that needs to be changed. you must clarify your goals. You must continue to ask yourself, "What is the intended result of my action?" You must learn to plan your time everyday, every week or every year. You must resolve to use time better ways. Any resolution you make will not be worth much unless you keep it. You must stick to your resolution day in and day out until it becomes a habit.