Effective ways to create new habits
It can be so difficult to do something other than what you’ve always done. Your former way of life is likely deeply ingrained in you. So how do we create new habits? I’ve heard a few things. I’ve heard it takes 21 days to make a habit, I’ve heard that you can replace the old behavior with something new and I’ve tried both of those but I still wasn’t satisfied.
My word for this year was order. I knew I needed better daily habits to have more order in my life so when I saw Atomic Habits by James Clear. I knew I needed to read it. Some of the things I found most helpful are listed below:
Small daily habits change the course of your life over the years. Make a choice that is 1 percent better each day. There is no good choice that is too small to make a difference over time. Small changes compound.
If you want to change the output (outcome) then you should change the input. It's not goals that make you successful, it’s the systems that you put in place to reach those goals that make you successful.
You can’t change your habits because they are rooted in your identity. If you change your identity you can change your habits. For example: instead of saying “I’m always late” say “I’m a person that is always on time “and begin to make preparations to be that person.
Make the habits you want to change easy. This one was simple yet effective. If you make it too hard you won’t do it because naturally we are wired to be lazy. Our minds to find the easiest most effective way to do something. Work with your mind not against it. This is how I was able to commit to running 30 mins a day. I tell myself even when I don’t want to that its only 30 minutes and by the time I start, it will be halfway over so surely I can commit to that.
Get rid of the all or nothing theory. Wanting to show up at the gym and give peak performance is admirable but it’s better to go and do it halfway one day than to skip it altogether. “Lost days hurt you more than successful days help you.” You want to first develop the habit of showing up, then you can perfect performance.
There were so many gems in this book so if you need a habit overhaul this is a great book to jump-start the process. It will give you a clear guide on how to rethink your habits so that you can reshape your life. Additionally, if you have kids there is an addendum on how to teach your kids good habits as well! What habits are you trying to change? Comment below and let me know!