So are you tired of setting goals and not achieving them? To make good resolutions without ever keeping them? I understand you perfectly.
As you know, the best way to achieve a goal is to break it down into small steps, the difficulty of which will increase.
In other words, you must learn to develop a new habit (related to your goal) that will allow you to successfully perform a series of daily actions.
This article will help you get there without a hitch. The whole habit building process has been broken down into 8 simple steps you can take right now.
Let’s go!
Step 1: Focus on ONE habit
If you want to learn how to develop a new habit, you also need to know what is ego depletion (also called “ego depletion”). This is a phenomenon described by psychologist Roy Baumeister who explains that we have a limited amount of mental energy, which is then transformed into decisions. Our will is limited.
A person who experiences ego exhaustion has a “reduced ability to regulate their thoughts, emotions, and actions.”
This has an impact on our ability to develop new habits, quite simply because our limited will is already very much in demand in different areas of our life.
This is why we can only work on one habit at a time. Thus, our reserve of will be partly dedicated to a single habit, increasing our chances of success.
This brings us to a certain question:
“What is the new habit that you would like to develop?”
Identify it now and learn all you can about it. Become an expert in this activity and keep digging anything related near or far to get started.
For example, one of my habits is to look for new topics of personal development, every day I look for new studies, new books, or blogs to read on this subject, and I do my best to synthesize my research afterward. in articles here.
The most important point here is to identify a habit that you can perform all the time, something that will easily adapt to your current lifestyle and can be done on a daily basis, even on days when you want to do something else.
Step 2: Want to develop a new habit? Commit to doing it for 66 days at MINIMUM!
According to a study by the European Journal of Social Psychology, it was determined that the number of days to develop a new habit was on average 66 days. This is also the case if, for example, you want to replace a bad habit with a more positive one.
During this period, it is essential that you carry out the actions related to your new habit every day.
To facilitate this new automatism, it will be necessary to reproduce the same action always at the same time during the day to create a kind of programming in your mind. For example, that you decide to write in the evening between 8 and 9 p.m.
Although missing a day will not have a significant impact on the acquisition of a new habit, it is necessary to be constant, at the risk of failing to develop the habit. This is all the more important for the first 0-21 days because that is when your habit is most fragile in your mind.
Step 3: Attach your new habit to an already established habit
A habit shouldn’t be based solely on motivation, the fad of the moment, or a temporary desire. Rather, it should be instilled into your life day after day, to the point where it becomes an automatism. It also means that there is no need to plan down to the minute what you need to do, it’s all about commitment.
The key is to change a pre-existing habit very slightly, and then gradually build your new habit on it. For this, you need a habit that you already do every day.
“After I get home from work, I put on a tracksuit and go for a 10-minute run.”
“After brushing my teeth at night, I’m going to write down everything positive I’ve done that day.”
“After I take the kids to school, I’m going to meditate a bit.”
You get the idea. Find a habit that you are already doing consistently and attach your new habit to it. This will make it easier for you, and your brain will naturally transition from the old habit to the new one.
Step 4: Take it to step by step, don’t overexert yourself
The key to building a new habit is committing to progress very lightly and focusing on small wins.
The danger of relying on your sole motivation to develop a new habit is that you won’t have a backup plan when you’re not in the mood to accomplish it. Really, the only way to make a habit last, in the long run, is to turn it into automatic behavior.
You no longer wonder about going to brush your teeth at bedtime, for example, that goes without saying. Going gradually, step by step will allow you not to overload yourself and will make this new habit easier to live with.
So with this little commitment, you cannot fail. It’s more important to stay consistent and not miss a day than to partially achieve your goal. When the habit starts to win you over, you won’t lose its benefits.
If for example, your goal is to run for half an hour a day, start with 5 minutes. If you want to write a book, start with one page per day. Or by waking up 10 minutes earlier every day if you hate waking up late.
Put it like that, it sounds easy. Well, it is! This is why this method is so effective. It doesn’t take too much effort and you see the results right away. And when you get used to your 5 minutes a day, you will go to 10 minutes, etc …
- Step 5: Overcome obstacles
Every new habit comes with its own set of challenges and obstacles. It’s inevitable. A large part of this site is dedicated to overcoming these obstacles, whether it is self-confidence, stress, decision-making paralysis, you will find articles to help you overcome them.
And when you know in advance what problems you will be facing, then you can take preventative actions to overcome them. Because apart from psychological factors there are “common” obstacles that you will necessarily have to overcome:
Pain
- Weather
- Space
- The costs
- The ego
Be prepared to anticipate these obstacles when they arise. This way, you won’t be overwhelmed and uncomfortable when they arise.
These plans to be realized are held in a formula, the if – then. “If it happens X – Then I will do Y”. For example:
“If I notice it’s raining outside and I can’t run my 5 minutes, then I’ll work out at home instead.”
“If I don’t have time to get down to my project at the end of the day, I’ll get up 30 minutes early tomorrow to work on it.”
“If I’ve had a bad day at work and don’t feel like playing sports, I’ll walk to the bakery.”
Step 6: Get involved in your new habit
Track your efforts and share your new habit with those around you. According to the Hawthorne Effect, you are all the more likely to keep your commitments when you are watched by others. As you stick to this new routine, you should share your efforts and goals with others.
You can post on social media where you are in your new habit, or on forums if there is a community around your habit. Do whatever it takes to get in the water and receive the support you need to persevere in your actions.
Never underestimate the power of social approval. Knowing that you will be observed and that you will be reminded of your habit will help keep you focused and consistent.
Step 7: Reward yourself for your progress
A new habit doesn’t have to be boring. Build a reward system into your habit and take the time to celebrate achieving some of your goals. The reward is up to you, but it’s important to celebrate these great moments of personal achievement.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to break the bank to reward yourself. Watching a new movie, spending an evening with your significant other, or doing something you love is more than enough.
We often tend to underestimate the importance of “indulging yourself” when we start new habits. Rewarding yourself regularly will keep you sticking to your new routine, and make it more enjoyable for you.
Step 8: Build a new identity
Performing a new habit daily will get you going. You can make huge progress by committing to one small action every day, and gradually increasing your efforts to overcome any obstacles that come your way.
But at some point you have to go from “I do this everyday” to “it’s part of me”. This will allow you to hang on to this new habit without having to force yourself to do it all the time.
The idea is to develop a habit that will last by making it reflect who you are on the inside. Therefore, you should feel that this habit is part of what makes you unique.
The majority of goals (and habits) are focused on a particular external result, for example increasing one’s income or being better seen by others.
It’s best to turn it around and make it an internal motivation, and decide that this habit is a part of who you are, and that every little victory, which moves you towards your goal, is proof of who you really are. basically.
Yes, this is a real change of mind.
With this new habit, you can reinforce that behavior by saying before you start, “I’m the type of person who likes to do X, regularly.” Your activity will thus end up being inseparable from your identity.
Habit Hunter – Build your habit
This gamification app will keep you stay MOTIVATED to build good habits & kick bad habits. It also helps you set personal goals, break down goals into tasks, track your progress, and motivate yourself to achieve new heights!