We all develop habits.  However, bad habits seem to form faster and require less effort than good ones.  But what distinguishes good habits from bad?  Good habits help you achieve your goals, make you happier, healthier, less stressed, enable you to accomplish more, and have no negative side effects or ramifications.

Forming good habits takes repetition but procrastination delays starting.  Once you begin, there will be setbacks.  You can get frustrated.  Forming a new habit can take longer than you’d like.  Old habits may creep back in.  Regardless, you can successfully develop and maintain good habits.

Start with an understanding of why you want to develop the habit.  What do you want to accomplish?   What are the benefits of the new habit?  Recognizing all of the ways you will gain keeps you motivated.

Write down what habit you want to develop, your motivation, and what it will achieve.  Make copies and post them in places where you will be able to read them several times a day.  This procedure keeps your mind programmed with your desired habit.

Visualize yourself attaining the desired good habit.  Experience the feelings associated with your success.  Watch how your life improves.  This visualization is an important mental preview that focuses your mind on where you want to go.

Begin today.  Start out with small steps.  Engage in just one small element of your good habit.  For example, if you want to develop a regular exercise routine, you might start with just five minutes a day.  Getting started by taking action is essential to the formation of any good habit.  Until you take this step, nothing will happen.

After getting started, you have to consistently work on your habit.  When you start exercising five minutes a day, create a weekly schedule and stick to it.  Whether it’s five minutes a day seven days a week, or only two days a week, you must stick to your plan.  Repetition is essential for your habit to take hold.  Doing something now and then or when you remember is not effective.

Commit to your new habit for at least 30 days.  This is a manageable period of time that’s not overwhelming.  It’s also enough time for the new habit to take hold.  Sticking with the new habit for 30 days gives you a sense of accomplishment.  You will feel that you don’t want to waste the time and effort already spent and are more compelled to continue.

Give yourself credit for any accomplishments, regardless how small.  This positive reinforcement keeps you motivated and moving forward.  It’s good to acknowledge your achievements.

Take bigger steps as you make progress.  After consistently exercising five minutes a day, consider expanding your workout to 10 minutes.  Maintain this progression until you are achieving your desired results.

Setbacks are normal and expected.  Don’t become discouraged.  Should you stumble and fall, just get back up and on track.  If you give up and abandon your good habit, all of your progress will be wasted.

Fight discouragement by going back to the beginning of the habit forming process.  Read and reread your reasons for forming the habit.  Any period of time where you neglect your good habit is insignificant as long as you get back to your habit.

You banish bad habits by replacing them with good habits.  It doesn’t matter how old or young you are.  The length of time a bad habit has been with you is irrelevant.  All you need is a desire and a willingness to change.

You benefit from good habits.  The sooner you get started the sooner you’ll reap the rewards.  Follow the guidelines described above.  Get started today and enjoy the journey which leads to your destination.

NOW AVAILABLE:  "Dare to Live Without Limits," the book.  Visit www.BryanGolden.com or your bookstore. Bryan is a management consultant, motivational speaker, author, and adjunct professor. E-mail Bryan at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or write him c/o this paper.  2011 Bryan Golden

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