Everyone has at least one bad habit. Whether it’s being frequently late, tapping your feet, or eating junk food, a bad habit can have a negative influence on your happiness, health and social relationships. 【小题1】 However, understanding the basic principles of behavior change can give you a head start on the process.

You can only change what you decide you want to change. Take some time to reflect on the trouble your bad habit may lead to. 【小题2】 The more honest you are with yourself about the nature of your bad habit, the more likely you will be to start on the path toward changing it.

【小题3】 You need to strengthen your sense of belief that you can accomplish what you want. Seeing other people change successfully is inspiring, but you need to see yourself as being able to make those changes in yourself.

【小题4】 Once you figure out what is driving your bad habits, you will have gone a long way toward changing them. By figuring out what’s causing the bad habit, you can also work on deciding how to control the outcomes of your behavior.

Set reasonable goals at first, since your bad habits have taken years to establish themselves. 【小题5】 Decide on a realistic schedule that will work for you based on goals that you believe you can meet. Work out a schedule of times to go to the gym or on a run that will readily fit into your existing schedule. Start off slow, and gradually increase until you’re at the level recommended for your age, gender and family history.

A conversation is a meeting of two unique minds, and every person has something of value to share. Then what are the secrets of adding value to our daily casual conversations?

【小题1】

It’s easy to see when someone is only excited about hearing his own voice and it makes you doubt whether he’s listening to anyone else’s thoughts. If you have something valuable say, five minutes of listening won’t change that. What the other person says may not only change your original thoughts. 【小题2】.

Ask a few questions

Another way to add value to a conversation is to ask questions. 【小题3】. Questions don’t have to be smart. If someone told you about his new dog, something as simple as “How have the kids reacted?” can allow him to spend an extra minute explaining what the change has meant to him.

Offer proper suggestions

This is a step a lot of people miss. 【小题4】. For example, if the other person mentions an ability or connection you have but isn’t sure how he could make use of it, feel free to offer suggestions about how you could see it playing out. As you start focusing on how you can add value to others, you’ll begin to build deep, lasting relationships.

Ask what you can do to help

There are two sides to this coin. You’ll immediately stand out in a crowd if you offer to help someone. But make sure you’re truly able to deliver on your promise. You’ll build a valuable relationship if you offer to help and follow through.

【小题5】. But it takes time to create good conversational habits. Pick one tip from the list and focus on practicing it in your daily conversations. You’ll never regret the time you take to create habits that bring value and meaning to your conversations with others.

“Use up all leftovers.” “Buy second — hand things instead of new ones.” “Learn DIY to fix things yourself.” “Invite friends over instead of going out.” “Grow your own food.” “Save rainwater for your garden.” Nowadays, more and more people take practices of saving for life. Let’s see what these people do in saving and how they enjoy doing so.