The 5 Steps to Making New Habits

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Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Bruce Gulland.

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And I’m Alice Irrizary. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

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Voice 1

A man wakes from bed at eight in the morning. He dresses and makes his bed. He starts the stove to make breakfast. And, he brews coffee. All the while, he is not thinking about any of these actions. He is thinking about what he is going to do later in the day. 

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These actions are the man’s habits. They are things he does every day, or at least very regularly. He performs them so often that he does not have to think about them. This frees up his mind to think about other things. 

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Habits can be very powerful. They can help you learn new things. A good habit can keep you healthy. Or, it could keep you organized. A good habit can help you become more successful in life. But, starting a new habit can be difficult. Changing a bad habit can be even more difficult. 

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There is good news, though. There are several well-established ways of making new habits. On Today’s Spotlight, we will discuss them. We will talk about how they can help your life for the better. 

Today’s Spotlight is on the five steps to making a new habit. 

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Everyone makes habits. You form habits when you repeat an action again and again. Do you remember learning to tie your shoes? At first, it was probably difficult. You had to think about the motion. And you probably failed often. But soon, the motion became easier. Your fingers moved automatically. All habits are like this. They are a way of learning how to act. 

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Some habits, like learning how to tie your shoes, are active. These are habits we form with intention. We learn them because we want to learn them. But many habits people form are passive. These are actions we make in response to the environment. These help us adapt, or change, to fit in with things around us. Often, these habits are harmless. But such habits may not be the best way to deal with the situation. Or these cause more problems rather than resolve the situation.

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Most people learning new habits are trying to change passive habits. Or they are trying to re-learn habits they learned incorrectly. They hope that a new habit will make their lives better. These five steps will help you, or anyone you know, do just that.

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The first step to making a new habit is to set a goal. Do you want to eat healthier? Do you want to learn a new language? Understanding these goals will help you focus on what you need to change. And goals will allow you to understand how a new habit might help. Some people even recommend creating a detailed plan. This will allow you to track where you are in your goal. 

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The next step to making a new habit is to start small. Most life changes can seem very large at first. These may even seem too big. Ashley Abrahamson is a blogger at OneMedical. She wrote about forming healthy habits. 

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“One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to form a new habit is taking on too much. And they try to do it too quickly. They want to exercise more. So they begin to train for a very long run immediately. Big changes like this to your routine can be overwhelming. These can be exhausting and difficult to continue.” 

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Most changes do not come quickly, all at once. Change comes with time in small steps. Long distance running may be impossible for someone who has never run. But that person could run a smaller race. Soon, they may be ready to try a larger goal. 

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The third step to making a new habit is to repeat it often. All new habits form through repetition. Sometimes, you may need to repeat the habit once per day. Some you may only need to practice once a week. For others you may need to set a special time. The point is not to practice more. Instead, it is to practice regularly. You do not have to meet your goals every time. But if you continue, you will eventually form a habit. 

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The next step to making a new habit is to make it fun! Or, you could combine the habit with something you already enjoy. Exercise is a good example. Many people think exercise means lifting weights or running. Or they think that it must be unpleasant. But there are many other activities that can keep you healthy. Do you like long walks in the woods? Do you like dancing? These are exercise. They may not be the most efficient exercises. But if you enjoy them, you are more likely to practice them often. 

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Finally, your new habit should be part of your routine. Most people do things in the same way every day. They go to the same places. They speak to the same people. A habit should fit with these repeated activities. A person learning a new language does not need to change their entire life. Instead, they should find a time within their day to practice. Do you have extra time after work? What about before? Fitting habits in these spaces makes them easier to continue. You only need to change one aspect of your life to fit this new habit. 

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Changing to make new habits is difficult. Sometimes it can feel impossible. But following these tips will give you a good start. Creating habits can give you control over some parts of your life. It can help you learn or grow as a person. A new habit may be the way to success in your life.

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Mahatma Gandhi was an Indian peace activist and spiritual leader. He often wrote about forming good habits. He once said:

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“Carefully watch your thoughts, for they become your words. Manage your words, for they will become your behavior. Consider and judge your behaviors, for they have become your habits.Recognize and watch your habits, for they will become your values. Understand your values, for they become your future.”

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Do you have a habit you want to form? What is it? How will you make the habit happen? You can leave a comment on our website. Or email us at radio@radioenglish.net. You can also comment on Facebook at facebook.com/spotlightradio.

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The writer of this program was Dan Christmann. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United Kingdom and the United States. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at www.radioenglish.net. This program is called, ‘The 5 Steps to Making New Habits’.

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You can also get our programs delivered directly to your Android or Apple device through our free official Spotlight English app. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.

Question:

Do you have a habit you want to form? What is it? How will you make the habit happen?