How well are you able to erase old, bad habits by replacing them with better ones?

When you start a new habit, are you able to keep it going?

If you’re not great at sticking with new habits, you’re absolutely not alone. In fact, it’s something every person alive struggles with — at least until they learn the science behind creating new habits.

Studies show that when we’re given the choice to have our goals handed to us or to choose the more difficult path to the same goal, we’ll choose the hard way. Every. Single. Time.

Why would we want to actively make everything harder for ourselves? How does that make any sense?

It’s because when we’re given a choice between the easy way or the hard way, the difficult path gives us a sense of control. All the strenuous effort makes us feel like we’re doing something to control our lives to survive.

You know what? It works, but only for a short time. All that effort leads to burn out quickly and we give up.

If we feel like we don’t have a choice, we feel powerless and lose all motivation.

It reminds me of when I applied for an elite program at a university. It was my dream. I was a great student throughout my life so I thought I’d be a shoe in. Although I did well on the entry exam, it wasn’t good enough to secure a spot, especially when there were five times as many applicants as there were spots available.

To say I felt crushed and defeated wouldn’t even begin to describe how I felt, especially after learning that my dad wasn’t supportive of me trying again the following year to get into the program.

But I didn’t care. I knew it was my dream and I stood firm in it. I was certain I would figure out a way to get in the next time.

Despite my dad’s wishes, I got support from my mom. I decided I would double down and take a year to do what I had to do so that I could apply again and get admitted this time.

That’s when I started creating new habits.

One of the reasons I stuck with them is because when I tried them, I took the time to notice how I felt afterward.

When I came up with a good habit that worked for me, it wasn’t difficult and I was able to accomplish what I wanted. It felt incredible.

Every time I needed to continue the habit, I remembered how helpful it was and how great I felt. It motivated me to try it again.

If I slipped up, I didn’t worry about it. I just tried again knowing I would end up feeling fantastic.

Back then, English wasn’t my strong suit so I also had to do a lot of extra studying to do on top of everything else.

I hit another brick wall when I realized looking at the same old books wouldn’t help me get any farther. So, I got help from a professor at that same university I was applying to so I could pass the entry exam.

And you know what? It worked. Not only did I get into the program I wanted, but I also was accepted into law school. It was tempting, but I ended up going for my dream program.

My dad also talked it out with someone and he ended up coming around, which was a bonus.

When I started university, things just got a lot worse. I didn’t even know the internet existed because I came from a small town without the means to know or even stay on top of anything "new". I worked all summer abroad cleaning hotels rooms just to save enough to afford an assembles PC for my future assignments.

Most of other students in the program had more affluent parents and not only knew what the internet was, but they already knew more than me as far as technology goes.

I didn’t feel good enough in the slightest. I didn’t know how I was going to catch up to get to their level.

But, I knew I really wanted to be in this program so I decided I wouldn’t let these feelings stop me.

I kept up with my new habits, reminding myself of how wonderful it felt after completing them. And I let my unwavering decision to commit to my goals keep me motivated.

It worked. I graduated and I could continue working on accomplishing my dreams

If you want to start creating and sticking to new habits, try this out for yourself tonight. Pick a habit and notice how you feel after. If you feel great, remember that feeling and remind yourself of it when it’s time to continue your habit.

If you try your new habit and it doesn’t work, try something else until you find the right one.

This strategy and the one I shared in my last blog post have been integral for my clients. One of my clients who runs her own business, Jenni McKinnon, even told me, “I can’t believe that I thought any other way before. It seems crazy to me. Now, I actually feel like I have taken all of my power back and I finally feel in control of my life! I feel like a new person. I feel like I can actually do anything.”

This is only the beginning. There are so many other strategies I teach my clients.

I use my Dream✧Plan✧Do system to help them grow their business by attracting paying clients consistently and without overwhelm.

My Business Results Accelerator program is a one-stop-shop with everything you need to know how to scale your business from $0 to 6 figures organically online. If you want to find out how it can help you achieve your dreams, apply here.

If you try this out, let me know about it. I’d love to hear from you. And i the future blogs, I'll be sharing even more tips on how to succeed in your business (and life!).

To your success,

Maggie