Q:
I go to workshops all the time. I read the latest books on
self-development and I always start out like gangbusters. But then, I
don’t know what happens. I just can’t seem to sustain my new behaviors
even though I know they work and I’ve experienced some degree of
success. It seems like I always revert back to doing things the way I
always have. What can I do?

A:
This is a problem that plagues most of us and there is a very good
explanation for it. Our brains are hardwired. Certain neurons that are
accustomed to firing together have developed neural pathways so that
when one neuron fires, it triggers a sequence of firing that is
familiar to us. This could be equated with habits. When we have done
things one way for a long time, our brains are hardwired to continue in
the same manner. When we attempt to make changes and begin new habits,
we are successful for as long as we consciously attend to the new
behavior or when we have successfully replaced the old habit with a new one. When we
stop consciously attending to the new behavior we are attempting to
develop, the old neural pathway fires together again. The key is to
stay conscious of the new behavior long enough so that it will create
its own neural pathway to replace the old one.

Our complete Goal Attainment System goes into this in great detail. If you are attempting to make long-term behavior changes, it’s a great way to go. Check it out.