“The chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken” is a quote that the disciplined famous investor Warren Buffett likes to use.
Humans are creatures of habit, and according to the Britannica Dictionary, a habit is a usual way of behaving; something that a person does often in a regular and repeated way.
The things we often do, regularly and repeatedly, determine the quality of our lives. What I want to say is that the person who runs 5 miles every other day is not going to be, five years from now, in the same shape as the person who does not run at all. Likewise, the person who reads for one hour daily will be different from the one who doesn’t. You get the point.
The excellent news is that no matter where you have picked up your habits or how deep they are rooted into your subconscious mind and daily life, you can break the bad ones and replace them with new and better ones to improve your life altogether and inspire those around you.
James Clear must be the go-to person when it comes to habits. He wrote the bestseller “Atomic Habits,” which sold more than ten million copies worldwide, so if you want to know more about this subject, you might want to check him out.
Now that we got that out of the way, you need to know that breaking old, embedded, and destructive habits or building new healthy ones is easier said than done.
You must be aware of the transition phase to ensure your success in this endeavor, and the crucial thing you will need is a “North Star.” The transition phase is the time it takes from when you decide to break or create a habit to the moment you succeed. Don’t expect it to be easy, don’t be naive, it won’t be, but always remember: “The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory.”
The “North Star” is what guides, inspires, and motivates you. It can be anything you can imagine, from money to social status, power, leadership, lifestyle, or family. Your biggest goal can be your “North Star.” But what do you do if and when you achieve that goal?
Well, let me tell you:
- When you are obsessed with reaching a goal, you forget to be happy and have fun on the way.
- When you achieve the goal, after the dopamine hit, you feel empty, scared, and depressed because you just hit your “North Star.”
- When you hit it, you realize you also lose it.
Back to square one. You can go through this process if you want, or you can take my word for it.
From my experience, the best, the only sustainable and healthy “North Star” is God and building a personal relationship with Him. Avoid thinking about this from a religious standpoint. Instead, think about Him in a more personal manner. Then, you start the habit of talking to God openly and sincerely. You begin talking daily to the Force that created the universe and everything in it.
Start today. Simple, just where and how you are. He knows you and everything about you, inside out. Make this your first new habit, and I promise you that your life will change in ways you cannot imagine. Do this exercise for fifteen minutes first thing in the morning and fifteen minutes the last thing before you go to bed.
Just talk to Him, and you will thank me later.
Yours truly, Cristian Prodan.
P.S.: Don’t be surprised if or when He answers.