11 Steps to Creating Great Habits
11 Steps to Creating Great Habits
- Start Small
Start small to build trust in yourself. Begin with something incredibly easy, something you won’t fail to do. Start small. Super small. Stretch for a minute, do a push up, or floss one tooth. - Progress Gradually
Remember that you’re building trust in yourself, and setting yourself up with the right habit environment. Progress very gradually – make it so slow that it seems too easy to add more. Each step along the way, the new level of your habit becomes your new normal. - Create Public Accountability
Eventually, you might build so much trust in yourself that you won’t need accountability – But in the beginning, set yourself up with the right habit environment by creating public accountability. Tell people you’re going to do try a new habit. - Be All in
Tell yourself that I’am absolutely going to do this, and won’t let myself fail. I make myself an unbreakable vow. Then i do my utmost to honor this commitment to myself. - Journal Your Habit
As you go through the habit change, reflect on how you’re doing, what obstacles come up, and where you can improve. Even just 1-2 sentences a day, or a few sentences every day, can be a major factor in success - Do a weekly Review
If daily journaling is too much, I’d highly recommend a weekly review. Just take a few minutes once a week (set a reminder), and type up a few notes about how your week went: How did you do with your habit? - Set up Unmissable Reminders
When people start a new habit, they often forget. So a key part of your habit environment is setting up. If you want a floss, put up a big sign “FLOSS” on your bathroom mirror, so you can’t miss it or set a reminder on your phone or computer! - Don’t Give yourself an Option
Do not ask yourself if you should be able to accomplish your habit in a certain amount of time. Just do the habit, without question. No option, no choice. Just one choice: Do it - Notice Your Negative Self-talk and Rationalizations
Notice when you have the urge to procrastinate or quit, and realize that it’s OK to have these urges, but that you don’t have to automatically follow them. You can pause, and think about it for a little bit, and sometimes not follow the urges. - Do it With Someone Else
If you go for a walk (your new habit ) by yourself, that’s really cool. but if you go with a friend, you’ll enjoy the conversation, look forward to your walk each day, and will be very unlikely to skip it, because you know that your friends is waiting for you. - Savor the Habit
See the habit as a treat for yourself. It’s a little time to yourself, a time to practice mindfulness, time to relieve stress, time to take care of yourself. Smile, breathe and savor every second of your new habit.
