Building Small Habits in 21 days
Building good habits can be challenging but worth it in the long run. Small changes in our daily routine can have a significant impact on our lives, but it can be tough to stick to those changes day after day. Most of us fail within a few weeks or even a few days.
However, there is some evidence that it only takes 21 days to form a new habit. So if you’re looking to build some good habits, here are seven tips to help you make it happen:
- Choose one habit at a time: Trying to change too many things at once is usually a recipe for failure. So start with just one routine and focus on that until it becomes second nature. For example, when I started working out regularly, I set a goal to get up every day and exercise for at least 30 minutes.
That was all I focused on; nothing else mattered as long as I did that. If I only got in 20 minutes one day or 45 minutes another day, it didn’t matter — as long as I got some exercise each day.
Once I established my exercise habit, I moved on to eating better. As long as my exercise routine was in place, eating healthy food was easy (because it’s much easier to eat well when you’re already active).
2. Set a specific goal: Vague goals are more likely to be forgotten or ignored. So be clear about what you want to achieve with your new habit. The problem with vague goals is that they’re easy to ignore or forget. That’s why we recommend setting specific goals: Vague goals are more likely to be overlooked or ignored. So be clear about what you want to achieve with your new habit.
For example, if your goal is “get more exercise,” that’s not very specific — what exactly does “more exercise” mean? You can get pretty clear: “I will go for a 30-minute walk every morning” or “I will do 20 minutes of yoga every day.” The more specific the goal, the easier it’ll be for you to stick with it!
3. Make a plan: Once you know what you want to do, figure out how you will do it. What are the steps you need to take? When and where will you do them? Having a plan makes it more likely that you’ll stick to your new habit.
For example, if you want to start eating healthier, write down what food items will be in your grocery cart on the first day of your new diet. Choose a day when you won’t be busy at work or home so you can focus on eating right. This way, when hunger strikes, there is no excuse for grabbing unhealthy food — you already have what you need!
It’s also important to set realistic goals for yourself. Don’t expect to go from eating fast food daily to healthy foods overnight — that’s too much change at once! Instead, try switching from one unhealthy meal to two healthy ones per week until, eventually, all of your meals are healthy.
4. Start small: Big changes are usually harder to stick to than small ones. So if you’re trying to start exercising, for example, wait to commit to going to the gym every day for an hour. Start with something more manageable, like going for a 20-minute walk three times a week.
When you commit yourself and your goals, you must keep them realistic. If you try to do too much too soon, it can be hard on yourself, and the chance of success may significantly diminish.
You may find that once you start making these small changes in your life, they become a habit more quickly than expected!
5. Build up gradually: Once you’ve mastered the small version of your new habit, you can gradually increase the frequency or intensity. For example, if you’re trying to start exercising, you could increase your walk to 30 minutes four times a week or add some light jogging into the mix.
The key is to build up gradually so that your body can adapt and get used to the new routine before it becomes too much for it to handle!
6. Be consistent: One of the essential things for forming a new habit is compatibility. So try to do your new behavior at the same time and place every day (or as close as possible). It will help your brain get into the habit of automatically doing it.
One of the essential things for forming a new habit is compatibility. So try to do your new behavior at the same time and place every day (or as close as possible). It will help your brain get into the habit of automatically doing it.
7. Get rid of distractions: It’s harder to stick to a new habit if things around make it harder to do (like having candy in the house if you’re trying to eat healthier).
Cheers,
See you.
