Use a variation of the heart-centered question to evaluate your habits. Which habits put you on the path with a heart? Which ones lead you astray? Don’t wait for good habits to install themselves or for bad habits to die on their own. You must take the initiative and create the changes your desire. Cultivate behaviors that keep you on the heart-centered path, and drop habits that don’t have a heart.
To build your courage, make a habit of doing something that scares you. In my (Steve Pavlina) Toastmasters club, we do impromptu speaking at every meeting. Someone will ask a random question such as “If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be and why?” Then you must immediately get up and give a one- to two-minute speech on that topic in front of the group. Your goal isn’t to give a perfect presentation off the top of your head. Instead, the idea is to build confidence speaking in front of people. When you can summon the courage to speak in front of a group with no preparation, it makes prepared speaking that much easier. The courage you build in one area of your life will also spill over into other areas.
Don’t allow the courage requirement to dissuade you from forming powerful new habits, especially those that involve interacting with other people. Follow the path with a heart, even when it compels you to face tremendous personal challenges. Honor your deepest connections, and let your conscience be your guide.
* Source: Personal Development for Smart People by Steve Pavlina