How You Can Make New Behaviours Into Old Habits

You can learn anything in life, whether it is a new skill or a new way of thinking, by being be open to the concept that you can learn it and then keep repeating it until you burn good strong neuropathways in your brain. The reason you fall so easily into old habits is because your brain has pathways burnt into it that are easier for you to follow than forging new ones. Think of going for a walk in the woods. The trails that are already there make it much easier to get through. People use them, and animals use them. Even my dog will usually follow the path rather than run through the tangle of scrub. If you want to create a new trail, it will take a greater initial effort to clear a path, but after it has been traveled a few times the going gets easier.

But why would you bother forging a new path? Why not just stay on the well worn path? Well, when my dog takes off into the underbrush, it is because there is something there that has caught her interest and she something good to come from the chase. Since our subconscious is like a happy puppy, you must anticipate good fun in a new direction in order to be willing to give chase and forge a fresh trail. You don't take it personally if the trail is overgrown, you don't see it as a personal short-coming if the trail is over grown, so don't let the forming of new habits become a personal issue.

Give yourself time and permission to learn a new skill, behavior or habit. As you continue to learn new things again and again, learning itself will become easier.