3 Things That Can Help You Change Faster And Sustain Them – Part1 Whatever changes that happen fast do not sustain for long.
By Bhushan Kulkarni •
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After reading the topic you may think that do I really want to? Or need to? Isn't the existing work style as an entrepreneur or a professional better? Well if you have answered these questions earlier and have told yourself that changes are required then the next question is that is there a mechanics or science that will allow us to change fast and sustain these changes?
It is generally held belief that whatever comes fast goes fast. Whatever changes that happen fast do not sustain for long. The classic example for this is our weight. Usually, it is said that if you lose weight fast, we will have a tendency of regaining it. Any changes that we try to make are faster than the "desired' time, the assumption is that it will not sustain.
My experience and discussions with experts in the field of performance coaching; medicine; health etc. suggests that speed of change and sustainability can be directly proportional. In other words, we can make changes faster and even sustain them.
So does this mean that we can re-orient our routine to become more effective? Does this mean that we can speak in front of a group without problems, faster than we thought? Does this mean that we can effortlessly connect with people?
The answer according to experts is a big YES.
Has someone done it earlier? Few years back, I used to do a small television program for a local cable channel. The purpose of this program was to interview people from all walks of life and get the answers broadly to these two questions.
- What is the secret(s) of their success?
- How did they go about acquiring that trait or a mindset faster?
In this article, we will see some of the responses given to question 2. How did they make changes fast that helped them succeed?
One of the respondents Nikhil attributed this change to something he calls the "Switch'. He shared with us that he was thinking of a change for some time so intensely that one day something "switched' in his mind and he acquired the trait much faster.
Yogita said she has applied the power of two forces to make the changes fast. The two forces she says are "Pain' and "Pleasure' she read these concepts in a book "Awaken the giant within' by Anthony Robbins. She said she associated intense pain to not changing what she wanted to and associating immense pleasure with the changes she was going to make. Every day Yogita reminded this to herself and that according to her fueled the changes faster than she expected.
Here are the 3 golden rules that experts suggest for changing or acquiring new habits.
- Cue: Trigger for an automatic behaviour to start
- Routine: The behaviour itself
- Reward: The way in which our brain remembers the new pattern for future.
More on Cue, Routine, and Reward later.
We have spoken about 3 things here. "Switch'; "Pain-Pleasure' principle and "3 golden rules of habit change'.
Now the bigger question. Can we use these principles to fast forward the changes we aspire for?
Well, it depends!
- Depends on whether we have identified and articulated sharply what we intend to change.
- Depends on how deeply we want to believe in "Switch'; "Pain – Pleasure' and 3 golden rules of habit change' principles.
- Depends on how interested we are to take action around these principles.
A good idea will be to write down answers to the above questions and check it out for yourself.
