Triggers - A Powerful Tool in Building Your Success Routine

If you have topic ideas for our podcast or want to reach Michelle, send us a text! We'd love to hear from you!1)     TRIGGERS: It can appear like there are just too many new things to remember when setting up a new routine. Our tendency is to fall back into old routine habits. However, we must change what is familiar. For instance, if we want to exercise and read more, perhaps we should break the habit of looking in the refrigerator or turning on the television when we arrive home each day. Triggers are a great way to aid you in creating desired new habits. The best way to create effective triggers is to remember the old adage by Henry Ford we mentioned before, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you have always got.” Therefore, your triggers must be something that is different from the norm. Below are the examples mentioned earlier and some ideas for each:a.      Exercise Daily – choose the same time of day to adopt this habit. Then attach the thought of exercising to another habit or event that occurs at that same time each day. For instance, if you choose to take a walk after work every day, you might attach the activity to removing your work shoes or walking through the entry of your home. If you have a pet, upon arriving home, when you see your pet, acquaint your mind to a walk. In time, it will become an unconscious habit.b.     Read Daily – You can apply the same trigger as listed above for exercise or you can set an alarm of some sort. You could just make it into an enjoyable event to help you prepare for the day, unwind or go to sleep at night. Curl up with your favorite beverage, in your favorite chair, and make it something you look forward to.c.      Stop looking in the Refrigerator – I had a client who stopped this and lost over 15 pounds. She simply wrote herself a kind note, on the refrigerator door, as a reminder to drink water or go for a walk instead. Here is an example: “Dear _____, Welcome Home! Grab a glass of water and go for a walk – you will thank me later!” Triggers can be set up in a multitude of ways to create new habits. In time, the notes, alarms and choice points will no longer be necessary. You will be on autopilot, doing these things just as you do now with showering and brushing your teeth.Excerpts and insights* from Chapter 11 of "Your Journey to Greatness Through Routine: A Guide to Creating a Success Routine" Book Contains:7 Actual Case Studies8 Downloadable ToolsAssessment Questions at the End of Each ChapterThe Brain Science Behind HabitsRetraining Your Brain Through Cognitive RestructuringHeart Science, Energy and the Law of AttractionPowerful Principles of Influence and GreatnessTips and Tools to Build Your Success Routine*Certain portions have been added to actual book excerpts by the author.  LEARN MORE AND PURCHASE THE BOOK at http://michellesteffes.com/bookSupport the showMichelle L Steffes is a Certified Speaker, Corporate Trainer, Executive Coach and Author of two books: "Reframe & Rewire" (also available on Audible) and "The Machine Inside Me." Discover more and contact her through her website, IPV Consulting.