It’s really hard to change habits and deeply embedded behavior. For one, the hardwired habits in your brain make it harder, and second, change makes people feel uncomfortable. But despite the challenges, there are many things you can do to change your attitude. But did you know that there’s one simple thing you can do to make all this easier? It all begins with one question.
Ready? It’s simple.
Just ask yourself “Why?” more often. You’ll be surprised, asking this question could lead to good results not just when it coms to work, but also with your life, in general.
When you ask yourself “Why _____?”, it forces your brain to go more into the details of your behavior and actions. The more you ask it, the nearer you get to the root of the things, or to whatever you need to know. Although asking the same question again and again might be annoying for most people, it is a crucial, yet simple way, for you to understand yourself and the reason for your decisions. It also reminds you of what you want in life, thus helping you avoid procrastination and change your behavior for the better.
For example, asking “Why am I reading this article online?” or “Why am I watching YouTube videos?” will force you to think why you’re spending your precious time doing unproductive things, when you can instead be working on something that means more to yourself. Everyone has a reason for doing things, it may not be obvious at first, but asking why continuously can help you get to the bottom of things. It also weeds out useless behavior and habits.
Developingthe Why Habit
Train yourself to ask ‘why’ more often by asking it each time you have the chance. It may seem nonsense at this point, but it helps in keeping yourself honest in whatever you do. By developing this habit, it would eventually become a part of your everyday life and will make it easier for you to separate things that are done on autopilot or without a good reason from those that are actually contributing to your goals.
Benefits of Forming the Why Habit
1. Get What You Want in Life –Asking “why” digs deep into the soul, by asking yourself the reasons why you do things. It can make some people uncomfortable once they ask themselves why they do particular things, but it can also help them straighten out and see the things that they really want in life.
2. Productivity Shoots Up – It will help you filter the unhealthy or non-sense actions that you do. For instance, when your alarm goes off, and you’re about to press “Snooze”, ask yourself “Why am I pressing the snooze button?” If you can’t give yourself a logical answer, then you have no other choice than to stand up. Reasoning with yourself also helps you to wake up.
3. Get Happier and Be Contented – Behavior changes makes a person better by changing how he perceives the things and events happening around him. Asking ‘why’ on just about anything gives life more clarity, and it helps you understand your emotions and the feelings of those around you as well.