What does it take to create a habit and make it stick? Is it 21 days of continued practice? 42 days? It actually varies from person to person. Research shows that there is no set number of days that you can repeat something in order to make it in to a habit. Even so, here are some proven ways in which you can build yourself into successfully implementing good habits in to your life.
Starting on a habit that truly means a lot to you
Yes, choosing something that you really want to do in life that makes you a better person is essential. This reason alone could be one of the driving reasons to keep doing it. We are talking about self-development goals like going to the gym to gain muscle or lose weight, meditation, starting a new hobby, learning a new skill or language, writing a book etc. These are things that you really want for yourself that you know deep inside will have life changing effects.
Hold yourself accountable and track your progress for motivation when creating a new habit by marking a calendar. Share on XMark the days
Marking each day once you complete your task on a calendar could serve as your daily reminder to keep going on the next. An actual wall calendar would be great to have so that you could cross out each day you get the task done. It is best to have it in your bedroom so that it serves not only as a reminder but as a motivator as you see the days on the calendar marked out with each daily completion of your task. A digital calendar on your home screen should be great too.
Taking a long journey step by step
Even though these are long term goals, you should understand that it is the work you put in each day that counts. So instead of thinking about a week, a month or years ahead, always plan your journey from a day to day basis. You will find that this helps a lot, especially at the initial stages when you want to create a new habit.
No excuses
Everyone has 24 hours a day of which you should be awake for at least 16 hours. Out of that 16 whole hours all you need is half an hour to 2 hours max to create this new habit. You can definitely have that slot open for whatever goals you have set your eyes on. So, no excuses, however you are feeling: lazy, too busy, lack of motivation etc., you should not care about your negative feelings & show up to get started nonetheless!
Block in a time slot and get to work on your new habit everyday. Share on XBlock in a time slot
To make things easier, keep a time slot that is easiest to stick to during your ‘awake hours’. It can be as soon as you get up, before or after meals etc. If you usually burnout towards the end of the day it’s best to not target the later hours in your day when you want to create a new habit. This is because your mind and body simply would be too tired to get things started and you might push it to the next day, and then the day after and so on.
Just get started
Even if you are feeling any negative emotion, the key to starting the day’s session is telling yourself that you will only do it for 5 or 10 minutes. One set of physical training, one paragraph or just getting in to the pose & closing your eyes to get started with meditation. Once you get started and fall in to the rhythm of what you are doing, you will understand the reasons you set your goals in the first place. This is a good way to trick the brain so that you get in line with what you want to achieve.
Measure your improvements
As you slowly start to create a new habit, it is crucial to keep short term goals. Make a list of them either written, or mentally. When you reach each Milestone, you will be happy with yourself more than you can ever imagine! And this would be one of the main reasons to help you keep moving forward. Because, you will know that your next achievement is just around the corner, waiting for you.
Having mid-term goals
Just as having short-term goals and achieving them could be a further catalyst to achieving dreams, you need a set of mid-term goals as well. This would keep you synced in on what you are doing on the mid-term. Even though long-term goals can usually be categorized as mid-term goals too. This is because there is actually no end goal, and long-term goals are essentially a stepping stone to another plan to make your self in to a better person.
Breakdown your habit in to smaller short term goals & track your progress periodically. Share on X
The cure for bad days
Sometimes, however much we want to stay in line, there are days that we just cannot make it, be it being sick, not being available (being out of town) or not having access (for instance a gym). When such days occur, the #1 thing is to be cool with it. You need to be confident that you are going to pick off right from where you stopped and keep achieving the goals that you have set for yourself. And the best thing to do is to show up for yourself every day to make sure you create the habit you need to.
When doubt hits you
At other times, there maybe instances where the goals you have set for yourself can take time to achieve. This can be true for anything that you want in life. At these times all you need to do is:
- Stay calm in knowing what your initial main goal is and how important it is to you. It is still definitely up for grabs.
- You are trying to better yourself, so you have come along way since you started.
- Re-evaluate certain methods that you currently employ.
- Re-adjust, test yourself and get back on your journey.
- Never lose faith in yourself, because that is the dream killer that breaks all good habits.
Enjoy what you have achieved
In the points above it was all about how you should be tough on yourself to stay in line with your goal. That is great! Being self-critical & self-disciplined are signs of maturity & will bring you all what you want to achieve. But when hard work pays off, it’s time to celebrate! Eat that Pizza, Cake or Ice Cream! Go out on that trip that you always wanted to. This would surely invigorate you even more to keep going again!
In Conclusion
So, the basics on how to create a good habit is to:
- Choose something that you really want for yourself.
- Making short term & mid-term goals so that you are making notes on constant improvement.
- Not faltering on missed days.
- Celebrating your achievements & keep going at it consistently.
Do you agree on the ways listed? What are the certain methods that you use to create good habits for yourself that you have found helpful? Sound off in the comments section below! Till next time, adios!
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