How to Successfully Create New Habits
We all have times in our lives where we want to change our behavior for the better and create new habits for ourselves. With the new year starting this is something you will most likely be thinking about a lot, or hearing your friends and family talking about. Habits can be anything from eating healthier and drinking more water, to moving more and taking your dog for a daily walk. Or it could be work-related, or spiritual, or… There are so many areas in our lives that could be improved and made easier if we created new habits.
A true habit is something we do automatically without having to think about, like brushing our teeth. But getting into the habit of doing something is often easier said than done. We seem to acquire bad habits without any effort, but getting into a “good” habit can be a little more challenging.
If you are ready to create new habits, or break old ones, here is an easy three-step process that makes it easy to follow until you’ve internalized the new behavior and made it a true habit.
Decide What You Want To Do
The first step is to decide what you want that new habit to be. Be as specific as possible. Don’t just tell yourself you want to exercise more. Instead, say something like “I will go for a 30-minute walk every single day”. Deciding what your new habit will be and committing to when and how you’re going to do it, is half the battle.
I find it helpful to sit down and write out all of my thoughts. I start with my main goal, then I list all of the ways I can achieve the goal. No detail is too small! Then, I write out an action plan. I find it best to start small and work your way up. Once you have a plan in place, keep it somewhere where you will see it everyday. Maybe on the kitchen fridge, or taped to your bathroom mirroe.
Remind Yourself To Get It Done
The next few days should be smooth sailing. You’re motivated and excited to get this done. Starting your new habit isn’t an issue. But a few days in you’ll notice that it’s easy to slip back into your old ways.
Maybe it’s raining and you don’t really want to go out and walk. Or maybe your day just gets away from you. This is when it’s important to have a daily reminder. Set an alert on your phone or add the new habit to your daily to-do list for a while.
If you feel comfortable sharing your goals, tell your spouse or close friends so that they can also help you stay on track.
Make It Part Of Your Routine Until It Becomes A Habit
It takes some time before a new behavior becomes a true habit. Until then, a routine will work to your best advantage. Even before the new behavior becomes automatic, a routine will help you get it done without having to spend a lot of willpower or relying on daily reminders.
The best way to do this is to incorporate the new habit into your daily routine by piggybacking on something you already do
Once you
