There is a Spanish proverb that “Habits are like cobwebs. Then they are like cables”. This saying neatly encapsulates the positive strength of a habit that is firmly in place.
How many times have you said, “I’m going to do _______,” but then don’t. You have every intention but something seems to be holding you back; then, you start beating yourself up for not taking action and swear “I’m definitely going to do ____ tomorrow!” But you don’t.
It is not much of an over -statement to say that if you wish to achieve almost anything of significance in life, then you need to have good habits. Starting is the key but habits will keep you going.
The fact is that we all have actions or routines we do habitually. The problem is that many of these habits undermine our success rather than enable us to achieve our goals. Here we will look at how we can replace those unhelpful habits with habits which are empowering, so you can achieve and accomplish what you set out to do:
Step One: Identify Your Habit
The first step is to identify the new habit that you wish to install. Ask yourself what is the one behavior that if you did it on a regular basis, would do the most to help you achieve your goal. If your goal is to become calmer and more centered, then the habit might be to do 10 minutes of meditation every morning. If you want to lose weight then it might be to do a daily fast for at least 15 hours. If you have a project that needs completed, the habit can include putting a timer on, say for 5-10 minutes to start (then work up), and take action that will get it completed.
Step Two: Schedule Your Habit
Decide when you are going to do the habit. Scheduling and committing to doing that habit will make it much more likely to be successful. Many people find success with habits when they do it first thing in the morning. You have fewer things that can get in the way at this time of the day. One habit to adopt is to write out your daily goals the night before so you won’t have to wait on getting to work. When you plan, there is no excuse of ‘no time.’
Step Three: Measuring and Evaluation
Keep a record of your habit and mark off when you complete it each day. You might want to use a spreadsheet, a calendar, or a whiteboard for this. You may also want to look into online apps like, Stickk, which provides a user friendly platform to keep you on track to achieving your goal.
Once a behavior becomes habitual we no longer notice that we do it. For example, few us have to actively make ourselves brush our teeth in the morning. In order to make a habit this seamless it is important to do it consistently for at least thirty days so that it becomes ingrained. During this 30 day window it is essential to monitor yourself.
Step Four: Reward Yourself
In order to reinforce your new habit reward yourself each time that you complete it. This could be as simple as saying “well done” straight after completing the habit; it’s funny how rewarding it is to cross off a completed task can be. You should also establish a more significant reward for when you have completed 30 days of the habit; rewarding yourself after a period of time, such as seven days, fourteen days, etc., can be as simple as taking a long bath or indulging in a Rom-com for a couple hours, up to taking yourself to your favorite restaurant or movie.
It is highly recommended that you don’t try to install more than one habit at a time. Remember that you only have a limited amount of will power. If you use it up trying to change one habit you have less mental energy for committing to other habits. Once a habit becomes habitual you won’t need to exert the same will power to keep it going. Focus on one habit for at least thirty days before embarking on another habit. And, starting with small steps will lead to those big changes you desire.