Habits for Successful Living

A habit is a pattern of behaviour that has become largely unconscious as a result of its consistency in occurrence. It is created in order to solve the brain's problem of having to re-learn doing the usual and mundane every time. According to Stephen R. Covey, author of the bestselling book '7 habits of Highly Effective People', he defined a habit has an intersection of knowledge, skill and desire. Knowledge refers to the awareness of behaviour, skill is acting out that behaviour and desire is the emotional display of the need to carry out the behaviour. In other words, a habit is composed of cognitive, behavioural and affective parts. For instance is the habit of listening to another when in a conversation, a person has to first become aware of the need to listen to other people more often and share his opinion less often, then he has to learn the skill of listening and finally there needs to be the motivation to do so. Habits are learned over a period of time, and they are also unlearned over a period of time. Habits are unconsciously learned but consciously unlearned. To change a bad habit a person has to replace it with a good one. The process may be herculean but it is possible to become a better person by working hard at winnowing out the bad habits and planting good ones. Just like it may take a long while for the Chinese Bamboo tree to sprout, it also may take time for a good habit to be developed but when it does it produces far outstanding results than can ever be imagined. But like most things, all habits start from somewhere. Habits for successful living have to first begin small, and then be nurtured daily and consistently. One may be tempted to get discouraged and eventually throw in the towel, but it is only the victorious in life that are celebrated, not the loser that gave in a few yards from the breast tape that will declare him a winner.
What are the habits for successful living?
•Living with a sense of purpose and direction.
•Constantly depending upon the help of God.
•Being a keen listener.
•Exercising daily and eating balanced meals.
•Reading soul enriching books, listening to audio programs/messages, attending seminars and conferences.
•Having a study schedule and sticking with it.
•Being concerned about the welfare of friends and associates e.g classmates, colleagues at work, church members etc.
•Apologizing when you are wrong.
•Strong belief in your dreams and goals and the pursuit of them.
•Finding what your skills, gifts, talents and interests are and developing them.
•A sense of humour in everything.
•Starting your day early.
•Feeling good every day, no matter what may happen.
•Taking ten minutes of solitude alone each day to reflect.
•Giving to others in need.
•Speaking positive words of affirmation to yourself.
•Staying in touch with family and friends at home.
•Keeping a pen and a pad handy everywhere.
•Saying only the good or nothing at all about others in their absence.
•Being yourself!
•Learning to use the word 'No'.
•Gaining new experiences by trying out something new every day.
•Meditating on the Holy Scriptures.
•Starting a conversation.
•Being flexible with set goals by adjusting them from time to time as reality dawns.

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