3 Ways to Build Habits for Success

Do you find yourself craving to be better, to be more. Do you feel like you have a lot to give, but your not quit sure how to unlock your potential.

Let’s discuss some habit based behaviours that may help you unlock that potential and set you on course for Success.

I’ve always struggled with building better habits. While still not perfect, i’ve worked out a thing or two around forming habits that I believe will help you.

Firstly, a little background on habits.

What is a habit? — A habit is a behavior that you do regularly, often without even thinking about it. It’s something you do automatically because you’ve done it so many times before. Habits can be both good and bad.

The Importance of Consistency when it comes to Habits.

Consistency is crucial when it comes to building better habits. By consistently practicing a behavior, you train your brain to make it a natural part of your routine. Consistency helps create a sense of discipline and reliability, making it easier for you to stick to your goals and see long-term results.

It’s like exercising a muscle — regular repetition strengthens it. So, if you want to develop positive habits, such as studying regularly or exercising, commit to practicing them consistently. Even if progress feels slow at first, remember that small, consistent steps lead to significant achievements over time.

Step 1 — Deciding why you want to make this a habit.

For the first step, we need to figure out why we want to make a habit of something. Let’s use the example of exercise. If I want to make exercise a habit, I need to figure out why I want this to be part of my routine. This will help identify why this habit is so important, and it will give me accountability to be consistent with it.

So ask yourself, what habit to I want to be part of my daily routine, and why. Going back to my example, if I want exercise to be part of my daily habits because I’m trying to shed some pounds, this is going to help keep me accountable every time I feel like saying “i’ll give it askip today” or “i’m not feeling up for it today, I’ll go tomorrow” these are often easy escape routes. Know your why and you’ll have a better time keeping discipline while creating new habits.

Step 2 — Start, then slowly and progress.

Now we need to figure out what we can do that is quick, and achievable. For example, if I want to make reading regularly a habit it might be a good idea to read a little. Instead of setting a target to read for hours each evening, start with reading a few pages in a book. Initially just a few at a time. Maybe put a 10 minute cap to begin with. No particular goal for a page count, but just 10 minutes of reading. Make this a none negotiable when you set out. No matter what happens on any given day, make sure you get 10 minutes of reading. Once you nail this down, you can increase the time cap. Remember, a habit is a behavior that you do regularly.

If I want to make exercise a habit, its not going to be a great idea to jump into a 25 minute intense workout on my first day. I wont be able to walk up and down the stairs for the next 3 days. Whatever habit you have in mind, keep it short and sweet. Aim for goals that are very achievable to begin with and slowly progress. If you can apply this principle, very soon you’ll be up to speed with your potential. Its always better to start slow and progress to your potential rather than starting fast, jumping in too deep and giving up.

Step 3 — Consistency

The third step is maintaining this new formed habit of yours. Sometimes the trickiest part. Very often the true benefits, the compounding effect of habits can go unnoticed for a long time.

Each time you perform your new habit, think of it like a drop of water falling into a bucket. At first, the impact of one drop may seem insignificant, barely noticeable. But as time goes by, those drops accumulate quietly and steadily, without drawing much attention. Unbeknownst to us, the water level in the bucket gradually rises, until one day, we finally realize that it has reached a remarkable height.

Similarly, good habits may not produce immediate, dramatic results. Each time we engage in a positive behavior, whether it’s studying a little every day, exercising regularly, or saving a small amount of money consistently, the effects may not be apparent in the short term. However, over a long period, these small actions compound and build upon each other, creating a powerful force of progress.

Just as the water level in the bucket eventually overflows due to the accumulation of countless drops, the compounding effect of good habits eventually leads to exponential gains. Suddenly, we notice significant improvements in our knowledge, fitness, financial stability, or any other area we’ve been consistently working on. The compounding effect has silently transformed our lives, demonstrating the immense power of persistence and consistency.