The best way to create habits

Learning
Written By Anna Bartosik
Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash

Photo by Drew Beamer on Unsplash

Learning takes time. For us, humans and for the animals that we are teaching alike. While working with owners and their dogs, it’s not just the dog that needs to develop a new habit, it’s also the caregiver. When we expect too much from ourselves we can easily get discouraged. If you never used treats with your dog – it’s going to take time for you to build a habit around it. You might not see the change in your dog immediately but have you made the sustainable change in you first? It’s easy to blame the dog but for him creating a new habit can be equally challenging as it is for you.

Photo by Richard Brutyo on Unsplash

Photo by Richard Brutyo on Unsplash

What can we do to help ourselves learn? When you don’t see the behaviour that you were after could you break it down into smaller steps next time?

I talked about shaping previously and even though I know quite a lot about it, I do sometimes forget to apply it in my own life. Self-assessment is not easy! I want to share with you my journey in the hope to inspire you to do small self-reflection and help yourself adopt new habits.

I wanted to send an email to someone I admire and felt anxious about it. The behaviour of sending an email can, however, be broken down into a lot smaller steps! For example:

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

  1. Finding correct email address

  2. Writing the first sentence

  3. Creating a draft

  4. Working on a draft

  5. Finishing the draft

  6. Asking someone to look through the draft

  7. Sending the email

Every single step can be followed by a positive consequence. For some people, the sense of achievement is enough to strengthen the behaviour. When you ask yourself to do a task that seems too big, you might end up not doing it at all. Isn’t it better to start at just writing the first sentence? You might be inspired and continue until you have a whole draft. There are no steps that are too small.

Go ahead and look at something that you plan to do yet continuously procrastinate on. Could you not break it down into smaller steps? I challenge you to do the first step now! After you do it, you can tick it off your list. Wouldn’t that feel good?

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Useful resources
Useful resources
Feeling good about oneself doesn't mean feeling better than anyone else!
Feeling good about oneself doesn't mean feeling better than anyone else!

I'm feeling great and I prioritise health. I don't feel better than anyone else! I can enjoy feeling good about myself and hope for everyone else to enjoy themselves too. I believe that happiness is not something you achieve, it's something you DO. I'm choosing habits for happiness and I do them every day. I hope you can join me and start to seek happiness every day.

How to use trial and success learning to our own behaviour?
How to use trial and success learning to our own behaviour?

Many times we don’t even bother trying to learn a new skill. We convince ourselves that it’s not for us. When what we could do is to find the first successive approximation and start learning through a fun and successful process.

Low self-confidence battles that you cannot see
Low self-confidence battles that you cannot see

Do you ever feel self-doubt and low-self confidence?

I have to admit I fought many low self-confidence battles throughout the years! It's not an easy journey but it's a process that I will continue for the rest of my life.

Tips on loose leash walking (video)
Tips on loose leash walking (video)

Loose leash walking has a lot of complexity to it. In reality, there are many behaviours that need to be taught but even more importantly every change in the environment can affect it! Here are a few tips and tricks that you can try while training your dog.

Controversial advice - Reinforce unwanted behaviour
Controversial advice - Reinforce unwanted behaviour

Many of the problem behaviours are a product of unintentional reinforcement that comes at the wrong time. It's better to reinforce quickly to keep the behaviour short and put more intention into all of the interactions with your dog. Remember, it's not just during a training session that your dog learns!

Are you applying what you have learned?
Are you applying what you have learned?

Creating habits is known to many people. When you hear about it, it sounds so obvious! You might even be able to teach others about it as you have great advice that works. The question is, are you using this advice?

4 points to remember to take dog biting seriously
4 points to remember to take dog biting seriously

Dog bites happen more often than you might think!
The headlines are usually only taken by those very rare fatal cases or by very severe injuries. Don't get fooled by it. Every dog can bite and that includes your beloved French Bulldog, Labrador or Shih Tzu.
Prevention is better than a cure! Read 4 points to remember to take this problem seriously!

How to create habits with the help of technology?
How to create habits with the help of technology?

How many of us failed in the past trying to create a new habit?
This time, I tried something different and I was building on a habit that I already have. Now, after 6 months, I can fairly say that I managed to build a new, solid habit of learning Spanish 20 min a day every day. In the blog, I share what helped me achieve that and few other surprising learning points!

Dogs meeting children. How to do it safely?
Dogs meeting children. How to do it safely?

It’s better to introduce your dog to a child slowly and safely. If your dog is avoiding the interaction be his voice and take him out of the situation. When your dog has choices and is asking for interaction, it can be the start of a great relationship. In any case, you always need to supervise and keep everyone safe. Not only the child but also your dog.

Anna Bartosik
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