5 Biggest Mistakes People Commit When Creating a Habit
Pushing too hard while planning, giving up while acting. The good old cycle of habit-building failure.
Do you ever feel like your habit-building efforts are going to waste?
Do you find yourself setting unrealistic goals, or beating yourself up when you don’t meet them?
If so, then this blog post is for you.
In it, we’ll explore five of the most common mistakes people commit when creating a habit.
Planning Way Beyond Your Capacities
One of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to habit-building is planning too much.
This usually manifests in dreaming up elaborate, life-altering plans that are way beyond your current capabilities.
For example, you may decide that you’re going to start waking up at five a.m. every day this week and then go for a run afterward.
But what happens if you can’t even get yourself out of bed at seven on a good day?
You’ll likely end up feeling frustrated and disappointed with yourself — which will only set back your habit-building efforts.
Going Too Intense in the Very Beginning
A related mistake is going too intense in the very beginning.
When most people decide they want to build a habit, they go all out and try to adopt every aspect of it at once. This rarely works.
Research has shown that it takes an average of 66 days to form a habit — so don’t expect to change your entire life overnight!
Instead, start with one small habit change, and gradually add on more changes as you get more comfortable with them.
Focusing Too Much on Numbers
Another common habit-building mistake is focusing too much on numbers.
For example, you may become obsessed with the number of days in a row you’ve managed to stick to your new routine or the amount of weight you’ve lost in a week.
While it’s important to track your progress, don’t get too caught up in the numbers.
Doing so can lead to frustration and discouragement if you don’t see the results you’re hoping for right away.
Focusing on consistency instead of intensity will yield better long-term results.
Focusing on Intensity Rather Than Consistency
Related to the point above, many people make the mistake of focusing on intensity rather than consistency.
They try to do as much as possible in as short a time frame as possible, without taking into account their limitations.
This often leads to burnout and eventually failure. It’s far more sustainable — and effective — to focus on doing a little bit each day, rather than trying to do everything at once.
Beating Yourself for Unreasonable Goals
Lastly, one of the biggest habit-building mistakes people make is setting themselves up for failure by aiming too high.
For example, you may decide that you’re going to work out for an hour every day this week, or that you’re going to cut out all sugar from your diet.
But what happens if you can’t meet these goals?
You’ll likely end up feeling frustrated and disappointed with yourself — which will only set back your habit-building efforts.
Instead of aiming for unreasonable goals, try starting small and gradually increasing the difficulty level as you get more comfortable with the habit in question.
In this way, you’ll be much more likely to succeed in the long run.
So those are five of the most common habit-building mistakes people make. By avoiding them, you’ll increase your chances of success dramatically! Good luck!
