(according to us, as well as NeuroScience, the Silva Method & your habits :))
Likely you, like me and many of us, also reflected on 2022 and it´s ups and downs and decided some things have to change – or at least improve. From personal to professional goals, we rethink our ways, set new goals and possibly join a gym, do Dry-January or intermittent fasting, save more money and try to spend more time with friends/ family. I applaude you, as those goals are great and very useful, however..
Research shows most actions are already dropped by week 2. Gym memberships decline by February-March, dry January makes place for ´wet February´ (Carnival is a great occasion, I speak of experience ;)) and the benefits of fasting are long forgotten… There is even more to it, as setting goals and not achieving them we likely feel bad about ourselves and hurts our self-confidence.
Therefore, let´s try something else this year!
Change your mind and your habits.
How?
Well, we could write a lengthy essay about this topic, but in a nutshell ´To adjust habits you’ll want to leverage the natural rhythms of your brain and body to make it more likely that you will engage or maintain habits” (according to Dr. Huberman). From optimal caffeine intake and delay, to daylight exposure and focus setting, Huberman sets out the empirical approach to a well crafted day.
Also something called ´the Silva Method´ explains how to develop an ´altered state of mind´ (or ´Alpha State´) in order to enhance awareness, mental projection with intent and connect to the information obtained in this manner can be acted upon to solve problems and improve memory and learning.
The Silva Method is a self-help and meditation program developed by José Silva. It claims to increase an individual’s abilities through relaxation, development of higher brain functions, and even psychic abilities such as clairvoyance.
Our point in all of this is: Forget about goal-setting, but focus on your mind-set and change your habits.
Don´t reach for the stars but focus on the small habits. As those try can make a big difference. For example if your goal is to ´be more positive´, you are less likely to succeed than by saying “I will focus on identifying and avoiding all things that put me into a negative state of mind”. For example, in your daily routine simply go to bed a bit earlier to get enough sleep, tone down from 4 to 2 coffees, take a more frequent walk outside, smile and talk with strangers, give energy in order to receive it back (without expecting it!), change that chocolate bar for fruit and go for that evening run, walk or bike-ride just a couple of times a week.
Ultimately, it is your commitment to the process that will determine your progress. According to the study ´Making Habits, Breaking Habits´ by Jeremy Dean, it takes on average 56 days to form a habit. Missing a day or two did NOT interrupt. Therefore be kind to yourself, make small changes and be proud, and grateful, of the small accomplishments each day!
Which habit do you want to change?
