Say Goodbye to Bad Habits in 4 Steps, Ep #211

What are your bad habits? When I finally climb into bed at night—I grab my phone and start scrolling. Before I know it, 30–40 minutes have passed. Looking at screens right before bed negatively impacts sleep, yet I continue to do it. So in this episode of Best in Wealth, I share four “laws” from James Clear’s book, “Atomic Habits,” that will help you say goodbye to your bad habits. [bctt tweet="In this episode of Best in Wealth, I share four “laws” from James Clear’s book, “Atomic Habits,” that will help you say goodbye to your bad habits. Don’t miss it! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""] Outline of This Episode [2:37] What is your bad habit? [5:23] Get an accountability partner [6:54] Step #1: Make it invisible [8:40] Step #2: Make it unattractive [10:06] Step #3: Make it difficult [11:52] Step #4: Make it unsatisfying What is your bad habit? What is your worst bad habit? Describe that behavior. What is undesirable about the habit that you want to break? What is offensive about it? What does it keep you from obtaining? Why do you want to change? What do you want to do instead? Are you committed to improving? If you are not committed, breaking your habit will never work. Clarify your bad habit, why you have it, why you want to change, and why it is good for you to change so you can develop a plan to overcome it. Many habits happen automatically—but you still choose the behavior. It is frustrating to try to change a habit through willpower alone. So what is a smarter way to conquer your automatic behavior? What is the first thing you need to do? Step #1: Make it invisible James Clear’s first law is to make it invisible. How can you reduce your exposure to your bad habit? If your habit is spending too much time on your phone, you can silence your phone or charge it in another room. If you drink too much, clear the booze out of your house. The goal is to reduce how much that habit is confronting you. [bctt tweet="What is step #1 to help you break your bad habits? Make them invisible. Learn what that means in this episode of Best in Wealth! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""] Step #2: Make it unattractive How do you make a bad habit unattractive? Reframe your mindset. What are the benefits of avoiding bad habits? If I avoid my bad habit, I will get more sleep because I will go to bed sooner. Secondly, I will fall asleep easier if I do not spend time on my phone or watching TV. Consistently highlight the benefits of avoiding your bad habits to make them seem less attractive. Step #3: Make it difficult Place multiple steps between you and your bad habits. Restrict future choices to ones that benefit you. If you want to spend less time on social media, what can you do? Log out of social media apps or uninstall them from your phone. If you got rid of the alcohol in your home, to get a drink, you have to drive to the liquor store. Is it worth it? Likely not. [bctt tweet="How do you make a bad habit so unsatisfying that you break it? I share some steps in this episode of the Best in Wealth podcast! #wealth #retirement #investing #PersonalFinance #FinancialPlanning #RetirementPlanning #WealthManagement" username=""] Step #4: Make it unsatisfying Ask someone to watch your behavior. Make the cost of your bad habits public and painful. If you know someone is watching and judging you, you are less likely to do something. You can also ask an accountability partner to give you a consequence for your actions. What would be a consequence that would keep you from continuing your bad habits? It’s time to learn from your past mistakes and break your bad habits. What will