3 Ways to Make a New Habit Stick

This entry was posted in Goals Habits on by (updated on )

 

Do you FEEL frustrated because you’re not making any progress towards the goals, whether they be in health, career, &/or relationships, that are important to you?  It’s like you take 3 steps forward to only feel like you’re going 4 steps back.  Not too mention, how hard it is to get back on track with your goals or healthy habits after a vacation, illness, &/or holiday!

 

You may be asking yourself, “When is this going to get easier, and when am I going to see some results from my actions?  I’m tired of starting over again and again.”  Or, “Shouldn’t this be a habit by now and more automatic for me?”

 

Habits take longer to form then the original myth.  It’s a myth that habits take 21 days to form or break.  In actuality, it takes more like 66 days or longer to form a new habit and for it to become more automatic….sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

 

However, there’s light at the end of the tunnel.  Some people can form habits quicker than 21 days, too.  Follow these 3 steps to increase your chances of making a new habit stick quicker to make progress on your goals faster!

 

3 Ways to Make a New Habit Stick

 

Schedule It

If you want to make a new habit stick, you have to schedule it, or it’s NOT going to get done.  There’s NO TIME to do anything, we have to MAKE TIME to do the things that are important to us.  I recommend scheduling new tasks or habits in the morning, as we are more likely to do them.  As the day wears on, STUFF comes up.  It always does.  Stop fooling yourself that you’re going to start working on your side business or go to the gym at 8 PM, and are exhausted from a long day.

 

Stack It

The best way to get a new habit going is to stack it or piggy back it onto an existing habit that you have already made routine.  For example, when I started a 5 minute daily meditation practice, I stacked it on my existing reading &/or writing routine.  Since I was already doing one of those every morning regularly, I’d place the meditation before or after it, and it always got completed.  For more examples of how to stack habits, check out this blog.

 

Find Accountability

There are very few people that don’t need some form of accountability when starting on a new goal.  Recently, I started Powerlifting, and I knew to stay committed to my workouts, that I’d need a group and a coach to hold me accountable to each and every workout.  Here are a few ways to get extra accountability, and I even put them in order of importance.

Apps – There are so many FREE Apps on your phone (which we never leave home without) that can help you track habits, set reminders/alarms, and show you on a calendar how many days in a row or a month that you’ve completed your habit.  For example, this is how I made a 5 minute meditation practice a daily habit, by using an App called Calm, back in Sept. 2015.

Peer – Grab your friend, spouse, &/or co-worker to join you in your new habit.  It will make it more FUN, you can give each other crap when the other one is being lazy, and let them give you a kick in the pants when you need it.  Warning:  It’s easy for friends to let each other off the hook with certain reasons & excuses.  If  you see this happening often, please proceed to the next strategy!

Pro – In my opinion, the BEST OPTION!  When you invest money in yourself & a hired professional, you really put yourself on the hook to take FOCUSED & STRATEGIC ACTION.  Also, a hired professional isn’t going to let you off the hook, as easily as a friend, for your excuses & reasons on why you didn’t do what you said you were going to do!  You ALWAYS deserve the investment in yourself and your goals to hire a professional for help!  It’s the easiest way to get into ACTION.  Most of the times it’s not the plan we’ve created for ourselves, but the fact, that we aren’t taking action with that plan.  Hire a Professional = Take Consistent Action!

 

*BONUS HACK*

FOCUS on Incorporating 1-2 Habits at at TIME ONLY

Trying to implement too many changes at once, is a recipe for disaster.  It will drain your willpower and cause you to feel stressed.  I advise people to focus on one area of their life at a time, and only 1-2 habits at a time.

If you’re struggling with healthy eating and feel like you’re starting your diet over on every Monday and trying to do TOO MUCH at once, it may be time to give #HabitBasedEating a try.

Normally, meal plans and diets want you to incorporate too many different new foods at a time and have you monitoring/measuring calories & macros, not to mention, rounding up strange ingredients that you’ve never heard of before for recipes.  In my opinion, it’s more important about HOW we eat the food in front of us vs. WHAT (w/in reason) food we’re eating and at what time we eat it at.

 

*Kick Start Healthy Eating Habits With This FREE 3 Week Challenge*

 

During this challenge, you’ll FEEL:

  • More relaxed around food in social situations
  • Satiated, but not starved or stuffed
  • More confident in your food choices at restaurants

 

You’ll Learn:

  • The 3 mistakes you make around food that’s costing you extra calories that lead to unwanted weight gain.  But, don’t worry!  They’re SO EASY to FIX!

 

Each week, you’ll receive:

  • 1 new habit to practice at meals and WHY it’s important
  • A weekly check-in email to see how your progress is going
  • Simple strategies that you can implement immediately, no matter what food you choose to eat.

 

*What do you have to LOSE (besides a few POUNDS) by giving #HabitsBasedEating a Try?  CLICK HERE To Get STARTED!*

 

Thanks for stopping by,

Tommie