Sweet N Social

Tag: pay attention

  • No Mental Energy Required: How to Know If We Have Developed a Desired Habit

    No Mental Energy Required: How to Know If We Have Developed a Desired Habit

    “Change might not be fast and it isn’t always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped.” ― Charles Duhigg

    Quora Question: When can we say that we have already developed a good reading habit?

    I think a habit takes hold when you no longer must put mental effort into doing it. 

    A habit starts off hard because we must put extra mental effort into planning and executing it. It’s like when we first learned how to drive a car.  We got in and ran through a mental checklist of everything we needed to do to get started.  Do we have to adjust our seat or mirrors?  Do I have my seatbelt on?  Once everything was ready, then we could drive off.

    It’s the same mental energy we must use to establish a new habit whether it’s reading, exercise or eating healthy.

    In establishing a reading habit, our mental effort goes into choosing a book, what time of day is best for reading your book, as well as staying focused in reading the book once you have sat down. 

    As driving a car has become a “non-thinking” habit, reading, exercise and eating healthy also becomes a “non-thinking” habit.  We just do it.  When you can name off your favorite author or favorite books or grab a book anytime you have free time, that’s when you realize you have developed a reading habit.

    Another indication of a developed habit is when you “crave” that activity.  There are sometimes when I turn on the television, surf the channels and nothing catches my attention.  I find myself turning of the television and grabbing a book instead.  Sometimes a can read a book for more than an hour and never realize how much time has passed.

    I think the biggest thing to keep in mind about developing habits is your “why” behind it.  Awareness is key! Some habits take hold easier because of your passion in achieving a specific goal.  My reading habit developed when I wanted to learn how to change some of my undesirable behaviors.  The desire to change, was the first step in changing.  Along my change journey, I developed not only a reading habit but also an exercise habit and a journaling habit.

    So here are some takeaways I would like to share:

    1. Your “why” will help with the “how”.  It’s like putting your brain on notice to start looking for ways to help you achieve a desired outcome.
    2. Keep in mind, change is never easy.  If it was, everyone would do it. 
    3. There is no hack in developing a habit. It takes mental effort and desired outcome to keep you motivated.
    4. Track your progress. Celebrate the little wins along the way.
    5. Give yourself Grace. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a habit!

    Thank you for taking time out to read this post. I would love to learn more about who you are and what you do. Feel free to connect with me through a Meetup group.

    1. Confident Strides Women’s Empowerment Network https://bit.ly/CSWENMeetup
    2. Confident Strides Personal Development Network Group https://bit.ly/CSPDNMeetup
    3. Confident Strides Women’s Professional Network https://bit.ly/CSWPNMeetup
    4. Confident Strides Entrepreneurs Network https://bit.ly/CSENMeetup

    Quote Source: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/habits

    To connect with me: https:///confidentstrides

  • Residue

    Residue

    Have you ever come a cross a person and once you leave you notice the feelings or thoughts that remain after your encounter with them.  Like for instance you have people who bring up feeling of peace. you may have people who bring out the excitement of possibilities. We even have those people who are like hurricanes that stir up feeling of anxiety and chaos.  I call this, residue.

    Like this we encounter, we also leave behind feeling and thoughts on others.  It wasn’t until I became more aware of my own conscious thoughts that I realize that we all are leaving a bit of ourselves everywhere we go.  We have the power to decide what kind of residue we want to leave others.  Granted, they may not always receive it as such.

    I learned through meditation that we can set our intentions daily and choose to be either the lighthouse or the storm. What kind of residue due you want to leave? The kind that people enjoy or the kind that people want to wash off.

  • Tidbit of Insight

    Tidbit of Insight

    tai-chiInsight comes like a tweet, if you are not paying attention you just might miss it.
     
    I was talking with a friend this afternoon and she was sharing that her Tai Chi instructor told the class that if you are having trouble with your physical balance, it’s because your not focused. My friend said she never realized that. I was taken back because my friend is one of the most conscious thinking type person I know. She is my spiritual sister. We both laughed and I told her we’ve discussed this subject before and that she must not have been paying attention and laughed.
     
    What I know in my experience is that whatever it is you are looking for your will surely find. The key is your awareness. Make time to quiet your thoughts each day and everyday you will begin to pick up tidbits of insight that the Universe is trying to share with you.
    Photo credit: click here.
  • In Your Hands

    In Your Hands

    world-in-your-handsCreating a new habit is simply taking a wish, writing it down, committing action to accomplish it over and over again. Once it takes root, you develop a “craving”. These cravings are what pulls you towards your future. The power to choose your future is in your hands. Habits are nondiscriminatory so they can work for you or against you. So choose wisely.

    Photo credit: click here.