We humans are creatures of habit, therefore developing good habits should be simple – right! Well, not always. The problem is that we get very comfortable doing things the same way each and every day. We often absentmindedly stick to a daily routine without considering the consequence or effectiveness of it. Why change?
But aren’t you tired the same life again and again? Nothing exciting to look forward to? Tired of setting goals and not achieving them? Well the trick is to chip away at your goal in small, incremental steps. In other words, when you know how to form a new habit (related to your goal), then you can turn success into a series of daily actions.
- Focus on one new habit. It’s important to work on only one habit at a time. That way, your store of willpower can be channeled into completing that one habit, increasing the odds of success.
- Commit for a minimum of 30 days. The length of time really varies from person to person and habit to habit. You’ll find that some habits are easy to build while others require more effort.
- Anchor your new habit to an established habit. After coming back home from work, I will walk for 20 minutes before I rest, no matter how tired I am.
- Take baby steps. Create a micro commitment where it’s impossible to fail. It’s more important to stay consistent and not miss a day than it is to hit a specific milestone. When you have a low level of commitment, you’ll be more likely to get started.
- Make a plan for obstacles. Prepare and anticipate that obstacles will come. Then, you won’t be blindsided by them. Use “If-Then Planning” to take preventative action.
- Create accountability for your habit. Track your efforts and make public declarations about your new habit. You’re more likely to follow through with a commitment when you’re being observed by others.
- Reward important milestones. Focus on building a reward system into the process so you can take time to celebrate the successful completion of your goals. The reward you pick is up to you, but it’s important to celebrate those big moments along the way.
- Build a new identity. It’s better to decide that the habit is simply part of your identity and then use each “small win” as a way to demonstrate that it’s who you are on the inside.
The wonderful benefit of developing good habits is that after doing them repeatedly, they soon become automatic. Anything you do for a long while and consistently enough eventually becomes a habit, and once it does, you no longer have to put much effort into it. Such is the beauty of developing good habits!
Be Inspired..!! 
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