The rules of habituation are based on knowledge of the conditions of habit formation. It doesn’t matter if you are teaching yourself or someone else, whether you are teaching discipline or smiling, the basic rules for successful training are: pattern or clear instruction, meaning or inevitability, easy start, positive background, eco-friendly reinforcement system, methodicalness.
How to train yourself
- Be methodical, make reminders so you don’t forget to do what you decide.
- Remember your successes, do not bother with failures.
- Don’t be too serious, too strict or too demanding: start small, celebrate success, load yourself gradually.
- Think over not only a system of funny fines, but also delicious gingerbread.
How to teach children and adults
If you are accustoming, and the results are zero, follow the following points.
- Sample or clear instruction. To repeat well, you must first understand (or see) what is actually required.
- Meaning. Explain the meaning, to whom and why it is needed. References like “Look, everyone is doing it!” are perfect for a kid, it is important for adults to show the meaning for the business or for him personally. For example →
- Inevitability. Clear energetic commands, the inability to evade.
- Easy start. Don’t load hard at once, help a few successes and victories happen, then load gradually. See →
- Positive background. Create a positive background: the person next to you should have a sense of success in this matter.
- methodical. Be methodical — follow through. Consistency and method give more than quickly depleted energy and pressure. Perhaps the creation of a control situation will help to be methodical.
- Reinforcement system. The reinforcement system is useful, but should be understandable and not offensive. See →
It is clear at the same time that accustoming to different, specific deeds and habits includes quite different prompts. The specifics can be viewed at the link «Successful accustoming», click in the left column in the «Categories» block.