Youth Talk

When it comes to goal setting and quashing bad habits, people often outline what they wish to stop doing and draft their goals accordingly. Little do they know that such a move is more counterproductive than not.

If I told you not to think of a red balloon, my saying this simply prompts you to picture a red balloon in your mind’s eye. In a similar fashion, if your goal is to stop biting your nails, making that your goal is simply going to remind you of the thing you shouldn’t be doing, and if you’ve got a rebellious streak especially, simply make you want to do it even more. This just makes for an internal struggle.

The solution to such ineffective goals setting is to prioritise positive change. Don’t tell yourself what you shouldn’t do –focusing instead on the desired outcome is a much better approach. You can do this by wording your goals in the affirmative, or by looking for alternatives to any bad habits you might have.

In the above instance of nail biting, your best bet is to try to distract yourself. To cite an additional example, a person attempting to eat better will find it easier to think of all the goodness of nutritious food rather than the things he or she has to reduce consumption of. 

I am a firm believer that the mind works in definite ways to serve you. By constantly reminding yourself of where you want to be, rather than where you don’t, great strides can be achieved when it comes to personal development.