Why you need to break old habits before starting new ones

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

There are at least three reasons.

Why you need to subtract old habits

Many make to-do lists and read trendy books about building new habits. But sometimes it's helpful to stop and think about all the things you need to stop doing to improve your life. That is, what negatively affects finances, relationships, health and career.

This is why it is worth paying attention to.

1. You will focus on what really matters

The key to success is not mindlessly adding new habits to the list of existing ones, but focusing on only a few actions that bring the desired results.

Doing many things at once is not the fastest way to make progress. On the contrary, it is counterproductive and unlikely to bring you closer to your goal.

2. You Can Do More By Doing Less

Pareto's Law says that 20% of the effort gives 80% of the result. If you correctly identify the minimum of the most important actions, you can quickly drop habits that only waste your time or make you worse.

3. You will make room for the useful by giving up the harmful

Bad habits can be replaced by good ones. For example, if you stop sitting too much, you will start walking more often, which will have a positive effect on your fitness. And by giving up unhealthy foods, you will eat healthy ones.

By cutting down on unnecessary spending, you save more for the future or pay off debts faster. And if you limit your interactions with people who drag you to the bottom, you can spend more time with those who are really important to you.

How to do it

Saying goodbye to something is not easy for any person. Our nature tells us to achieve more. This is why it is difficult to become a minimalist, do less, or focus on one task to make progress.

It can take months or even years to break the habit. So start small, act gradually, focus on small changes, and don't try to achieve lightning success. For example, instead of completely changing your diet, subtract unhealthy ingredients or reduce your serving size and add healthy foods. So you get the same 80% of the result without any extra effort.