Making Real Changes in Your Life
Date: November 12, 2015Category: Author: Infinity Dental Web
In a little over a month everyone will start thinking about the new year, and what kind of resolutions they want to make. A new year is a great time to turn over a new leaf. But, as you may or may not have figured out, most of those promises end up being empty and no lasting change takes place. What if I told you, you could make real change in your life? Here are some tips:
Don’t wait
It always sounds easier to start the changes tomorrow…or at the beginning of the month…or the start of the new year. But, to be honest, that is just one more day to ingrain your bad habits. Instead, just decide you’re going to start today.
Layer your goals
You probably have a large, overaching goal, such as losing 30 pounds or running a marathon. But, you can’t change a lifetime of habits overnight. Break it down. If a marathon is your goal, you have to evaluate where you currently are. If you’re not a runner, you can’t just up and run 26 miles. In fact, you likely can’t run one. So, set staggered goals. The first day, exercise for ten minutes. Try running one minute, walking two, until your time is up. Each week increase your goal. Next run five, then walk two, and so on. Before you know it, you’ll be heading to Boston.
Learn about you
In his book “The Power of Habit,” Charles Duhigg examines the neuroscience behind our habits. There are cues that trigger our formed behavior and ways to give yourself a leg up in breaking your habits. To do that, you need to know what your triggers are and what reward will be strong enough to help you change those patterns. You can read more about it in this article by NPR or by getting the book (and no, I don’t get a commission).
Because we are living, breathing beings, we should be growing and learning all the time. Never stay stagnant. Read a book you’d normally never read. Learn a language. Visit a new culture. Finally figure out algebra. What you choose doesn’t matter. Growing does. That’s when real change happens.
Dr. Mike Malone and his team practice expert cosmetic dentistry in Lafayette, LA. Dr. Malone is the former president and current accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is also the official Cosmetic Dentist of the Miss Louisiana USA and Miss Louisiana Teen USA pageants. Check out his website for more information.