three steps to build & keep habits
The new year is that time when lots of people decide that they have a narrow window of time to implement the changes that they’ve wanted to do (or at least think that they’ve wanted to do) for a while now. It’s the time when people decide to start things. Start going to the gym, start a new diet, even start a new hobby. Good news for you, you don’t have to wait for the next year to start to make some changes! Starting something isn’t exactly easy, but continuing to do it is even harder. That’s why we make these things that we want to do into habits. People have written entire books about how to build and keep habits, and while I’m no New York Times Best Selling Author, here are my three simple, bite-sized steps to build and keep habits.
Set Yourself Up
This one might seem obvious, but it’s very important. Want to start waking up earlier? Maybe don’t stay up till 2 am watching Netflix. Want to start doing yoga in the morning? Lay out your yoga mat in your room so you can roll out of bed and get straight into it! Along with making it physically easier for yourself to get the jump on the habits you want to start doing, make sure to set yourself up by starting simple. It can be hard to start meditating for thirty minutes a day when you’ve never done it before, so start with something that’ll be hard to say no to, like meditating for one minute. Make it easy for yourself to begin these habits, and then you can build on them later.
Let People Know
Motivation is not going to be enough for you to complete your goals, because it’s hard to maintain and is easily lost. You’re going to have to keep on your habits, even when you don’t feel like it. Accountability is a great way to do this. Tell a friend or someone you trust what your plan is, and ask them to help keep you accountable. Another easy way to keep yourself on track is by using your own visual cues. Write your habits on sticky notes and leave them around the house. Whether it’s a reminder to drink enough water, or if you want to go for runs in the afternoon, encountering the habits you’re looking to create for yourself is going to help you focus on the habit, and be more likely to complete it.
Show Grace, Power Through
There have been a few studies on how long it takes people to build habits, and while there is no set time for everyone, we know that forming habits can take a long time. Consistency is very effective, but life gets in the way sometimes (as we’ve all learned from 2020). The important thing to do is show yourself grace. Acknowledge when you’ve fallen off, brush yourself off, and get back up. There is no perfect time to start doing something, so why not start now? And when life gets in the way, as it has a way of doing, show yourself some love, and power through.