Waking up an hour earlier to run in the morning is easy. Doing that consistently is hard. Resisting an ice cream at 10pm once is… well, doable. Not snacking after dinner ever again is so-so hard! The thing is, starting a new habit is not a big deal. Sticking to it, no matter how good it is for you and how much you want it, is what many of us need to get better at. Here are a few steps to help you form a new habit that will last.
One at a time
Forming new habits means we want to change something in our life. Become healthier, be more productive, reconnect with friends and family after being focused on our career for years. So, it comes as no surprise we rarely make only one goal. More likely, this life change includes three, five or ten goals. Aiming to achieve them all at once will only leave you exhausted and unmotivated, so break up your goals into smaller habits and start with one.
For example, if you want to become a morning person and start every day with a long run, your first new habit should be just waking up earlier. Wake up, spend five more minutes with a leave-in hair treatment in the shower, enjoy a slower breakfast, etc. After waking up early becomes easy and natural, add running to your schedule.
Commitment is key
Most experts agree it takes at least 21 day to truly form a new habit. Some of them say it can be as long as 66 days. What we know is everyone is different – some of us need more time, some of us are fast learners. What unites us all is that it’s impossible for anyone to form a new habit without a commitment. If you’re implementing something new into your daily routine or excluding something you don’t want to be a part of your life any longer, devote at least a month to it. Focus on it. If your final goal includes several new habits, don’t rush. Devote time to them one by one, even if it takes you a year to reach the goal. At least, once you’re there, you know you’ll be able to stick to your new lifestyle.
Find a buddy
Don’t keep your new habit a secret! It doesn’t necessarily mean your bestie should commit to your meat-free dinners or seven-step night-time skincare regime but it will really help if she’s at least aware of your plans and is able to support you or give you a push in the right direction whenever you’re feeling a little lost and demotivated. Let the members of your family know of your plans as well so, for example, they know to keep the noise down if you’re wanting to go to bed earlier than you used to (if that’s your goal, by the way, here are 9 helpful tips to make the process easier).
Organise habit ramps
Habit ramps are things and events in your daily environment that support you on your road to forming a new habit.
For example, if your goal is to only snack on healthy food from now on, make it difficult to find unhealthy snacks and make it easy to find healthy ones whenever you feel like eating something. So, before starting this new habit, it makes sense to get rid of all the chips and cookies in the house and stock up on fruits and other healthier snack alternatives that will be easily accessible.
If your goal is to go for a run early in the morning, place your running clothes by your alarm clock in the opposite corner of the room, so you’ll have to get out of bed to switch the alarm off and once you’re already out of bed, the only clothes you can easily put on without waking half the house while rummaging through your wardrobe are your running clothes. See, nothing can stop you now!
Be prepared for setbacks
No one is perfect. Even after days and days of successfully following your goals, one day you might find yourself too tired / too hungry for that extra cupcake / too busy to go through with this new habit of yours. And that’s fine! It’s OK to hit pause for a while, as long as you set a deadline and are ready to get back to work on this specific date.
Quit making excuses
You’re not doing it for your school teacher, your parents or your boss. You’re doing it for yourself. So, no more ‘dog ate my homework’ excuses! It’s impossible to form a new habit when you fall into justifications and give in to temptations too easily. Think of it as an equally important obligation as feeding your cat three times per day or fueling your car. We bet you don’t skip these things, so don’t allow yourself to ditch a new habit before it has an opportunity to stick.
Reward yourself
It’s important to recognise and acknowledge your achievements. If your goal consists of several smaller habits, reward yourself each time you’re feeling confident enough with the first one and about to introduce a new one. Also, you deserve a wee celebration for each time you were about to give up on your habit but pushed yourself and did it anyway. It doesn’t have to be a big piece of cake each time of course (though it also doesn’t doesn’t have to be 😉 ) but a little pat on the back is definitely something to be done.