Forming new habits can be tough. There are times in our lives where we intentionally want to change our behavior for the better and create new habits for ourselves. This could be getting in the habit of eating healthier and drinking more water. Or it could be moving more and taking the dog for a daily walk. Or it could be work related, or spiritual, or… anything! There are so many areas in our lives that could be improved and made easier if we simply created new habits.
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. That is probably why so few want to stick with it.
We are going to break it down into a three-step process that makes it easy to follow until we’ve internalized the new behavior and made it a true habit – something we do automatically without having to think about, like brushing our teeth.
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” or “I will drink a protein shake for breakfast everyday” or “I will lay out my clothes every night before I crawl into bed.” Deciding what your new habit will be and committing to when and how you’re going to do it is half the battle.
Remind Yourself To Get It Done
The next few days should be smooth sailing. You’re motivated and excited to get this done. Sticking to your new habit isn’t an issue. But a few days in, you’ll notice that it’s easy to slip back into old habits.
Maybe it’s raining and you don’t really want to go out and walk. Or maybe your day just gets away from you. Maybe you are too tired and just don’t feel like doing it. This is when it’s important to have a daily reminder. Write it down in a place that you will see every single day. Set an alert on your phone or add the new habit to your daily to-do list for a while. Do whatever it is you need to do to make sure you can stick to the small steps.
Make It Part Of Your Routine Until It Becomes A Habit
This brings us to the last step. 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.
Make that daily walk part of your after dinner routine, or start packing a healthy snack to bring with you everyday so you aren’t at the vending machine at work at 10:00 in the morning. On Sunday, lay out a whole week’s worth of clothes. Put the dog’s leash right by the door and take them for a walk as soon as you get home. Wake up 15 minutes early to meditate before everyone else wakes up.
Decide to create a new habit, set reminders to complete it, practice the routine until it’s second nature and you’ll be well on your way to forming a new good habit. Life is full of spontaneity. Fill it up with positive habits that bring you joy and make your life even better.