{"id":116353,"date":"2023-10-23T10:36:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T14:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=116353"},"modified":"2023-10-30T12:26:58","modified_gmt":"2023-10-30T16:26:58","slug":"how-to-make-positive-life-changes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-make-positive-life-changes\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make Positive Life Changes That Stick"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Want to know how to make positive life changes? What does it take to make changes that stick?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To make positive life changes, plan the timing of your change well, develop self-confidence, and find peers who will support you and influence you for the better. Knowing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-make-changes-in-your-life\/\">how to make changes<\/a> effectively can make a big difference in whether you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/steps-to-achieve-your-goals\/\">achieve your goals<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Continue reading to learn useful ways to make life changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-change-requires-good-timing\">Change Requires Good Timing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Understanding how to change a behavior is only one piece of learning how to make positive life changes\u2014we also need to understand when to do so. <strong>The<\/strong> <strong>best time to change a behavior<\/strong> <strong>is when you have the chance to start anew<\/strong>. Think of these moments as \u201cnew beginnings.\u201d Put simply, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/new-beginnings-in-life\/\">new beginning<\/a> comes when a new date, event, or physical change offers you the chance to begin again.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-change-requires-self-confidence\">Change Requires Self-Confidence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Having an effective strategy is one thing; knowing how to time it is another\u2014but neither matters if you lack the self-confidence to successfully implement it. <strong>Believing in your ability to succeed can make or break any effort to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-change-your-behavior\/\">change your behavior<\/a><\/strong>. This is because our expectations (or beliefs) about what will happen influence what transpires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To do this requires that you create and automate new habits. You can do this fast by drilling the behavior you want to perform each day, sticking to it until it becomes your default. To reinforce the habit, reward yourself immediately after performing the new behavior. For instance, you might train yourself to go for a morning walk by committing to do so each day at 8 a.m. and ending each walk with a fresh coffee made to your tastes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some recommend that you <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/atomic-habits\/1-page-summary#how-to-change-your-habits-start-with-your-identity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">build lasting habits on the foundation of new, identity-based beliefs<\/a>. In other words, you\u2019d decide that you want to be a particular kind of person, and then you\u2019d practice the habits that make it true until you deeply believe you are that kind of person. This way your habits will root more deeply in your psychology and you won\u2019t have to convince yourself to keep up with them as you\u2019ve already become a person for whom they\u2019re second nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To help reinforce your new habits, Milkman offers a few additional tactics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Favor flexibility<\/strong>\u2014research shows performing a behavior at a set time forms a more rigid, breakable habit than doing it regardless of timing. For instance, do your morning routine whenever you get up, and it\u2019ll stick better than if you do it strictly at 7 a.m.<\/li><li><strong>Chain together good behaviors<\/strong>\u2014once you have one default habit in place, build another one off the end of it. For instance, you might extend your morning walk and coffee habit into a morning journaling session.<\/li><li><strong>Track your streaks<\/strong>\u2014people who watch their progress build day by day tend to stick to their habits better than those who don\u2019t. As an example, imagine the motivation that would come from seeing you\u2019ve gotten up early for nine weeks in a row.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-following-the-group\">Following the Group<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Pivoting to behavioral change at scale, we\u2019ll now discuss how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/norms-of-society\/\">social norms<\/a> have a strong influence on our behaviors. In short, we tend to go along with what our peer groups do, for at least one of two reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>We <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/desire-to-fit-in\/\">want to fit in<\/a><\/strong>. Historically, being ostracized from the group could\u2019ve meant death, so we\u2019re wired to place a high value on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/need-to-belong\/\">group belonging<\/a>.<\/li><li><strong>We assume the group knows something we don\u2019t<\/strong>, and it\u2019s probably beneficial to go along with them. For instance, you\u2019d want to go along with your peers if there seems to be an office evacuation in progress, even if you don\u2019t know why.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: In<em> <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/behave\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Behave<\/a>,<\/em> Robert Sapolsky explains that <a href=\"https:\/\/shortform.com\/app\/book\/behave\/1-page-summary#part-2-nurture-culture-family-environment-and-stimuli\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the cultures we\u2019re born into condition us to behave in certain ways<\/a>, value certain things, and obey the unspoken norms of the groups we belong to. Perhaps the core example of this is religion, which has been historically central to human cultures across the world. It also demonstrates two points. First, religions create strong in-group out-group dynamics, such that belonging is deeply important. Second, religious groups generally assume that there is some special or privileged knowledge, perhaps held by the priest class, and that it\u2019s best to go along with those in the know.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Social influence can have both positive and negative effects on our behaviors.<\/strong> To the positive, peers that we admire can motivate us to improve our behaviors. But if the gap between them and us is too large\u2014if, for instance, you\u2019re out of shape and friends with a dedicated gym rat\u2014that sharp contrast could instead be demotivating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can use positive social influence to your advantage by surrounding yourself with peers who model behaviors that are just beyond your comfort zone. This way, you\u2019ll find it possible to work up to their level. For instance, someone without any productivity habits might look to learn from someone who manages a few solid hours each morning\u2014but not from the hardcore deep worker who\u2019s been at it for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: This thinking relates somewhat to <a href=\"https:\/\/plato.stanford.edu\/entries\/friendship\/#NatuFrie\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">an ancient philosophical idea: friendships of virtue<\/a>. According to Aristotle, who distinguished friendships of virtue from those of pleasure or utility, a friendship of virtue arises when you and another share mutual admiration for one another\u2019s positive qualities or character traits. In effect, you motivate each other to become better. So when looking to use social influence to change your behavior, try thinking through your friends and relations to find someone with whom you might be able to grow and improve in tandem.)&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Want to know how to make positive life changes? What does it take to make changes that stick? To make positive life changes, plan the timing of your change well, develop self-confidence, and find peers who will support you and influence you for the better. Knowing how to make changes effectively can make a big difference in whether you achieve your goals. Continue reading to learn useful ways to make life changes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":73610,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,43],"tags":[1308],"class_list":["post-116353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-psychology","category-self-improvement","tag-how-to-change","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Make Positive Life Changes That Stick - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learning how to make positive life changes effectively can help you meet your goals. 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Here are several strategies for making a lasting change.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-make-positive-life-changes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-10-23T14:36:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-10-30T16:26:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/confident-man-confidence-trustworthy.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1848\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1232\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Becca King\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Becca King\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-make-positive-life-changes\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-make-positive-life-changes\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Becca King\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a98d1f6c931222c11a5c5d087f3376fe\"},\"headline\":\"How to Make Positive Life Changes That Stick\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-10-23T14:36:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-10-30T16:26:58+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-make-positive-life-changes\/\"},\"wordCount\":968,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-make-positive-life-changes\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/confident-man-confidence-trustworthy.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"How to Change\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Psychology\",\"Self-Improvement\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-make-positive-life-changes\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-make-positive-life-changes\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-make-positive-life-changes\/\",\"name\":\"How to Make Positive Life Changes That Stick - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-make-positive-life-changes\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-make-positive-life-changes\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/confident-man-confidence-trustworthy.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-10-23T14:36:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-10-30T16:26:58+00:00\",\"description\":\"Learning how to make positive life changes effectively can help you meet your goals. 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