We can all strive to build better habits (and break the bad ones too)…
We’re sure you’ve heard the hackneyed phrase “it takes 21 days to build a new habit”, but the funny thing about that is, it takes an even shorter amount of time to break it… So if you’re goaling for long-lasting results, those 21 days won’t help you much.
Scrap that…
If you really want to improve your lifestyle through building better habits, we’re showing you the easy two-step process to get there…
Step 1: Schedule the habit
What do you do when you have a to-do list - you plan your day accordingly, right?
…Well, you might not know the exact hour, but you have an idea around the time of day it’ll happen, and the more you “schedule” something, the more likely you are to do it.
This is exactly what you need to do when pursuing new habits - set a specific time and day for the activity to occur. For instance, if you want to become more active, schedule a time to work out every week and incorporate it into your daily routine (in the same way waking up at 7 am and getting ready for work is routine).
But don’t attempt too many new habits at once… We recommend starting with two max.
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!
Step 2: Baby steps
After you’ve instated that schedule, be realistic and start small. You can’t expect to lash out all your energy on the one thing you just started; that’s only going to cause burn out and result in quitting.
Say a new habit you want to take on is to read more… Start by reading just 1-2 pages a day and increase that threshold once you get the hang of it. Running is another great example… If the last time you ran was in high school, you can’t expect to get out there and wing a 5k… You need to build up the endurance for it.
Lastly, one final thing to shift is your mindset - stop any negative pep talk, which just becomes an excuse to give up.
Image Source Credits - Charlize Watches
You Should Also Read:
The Best Places to Learn Outside of School
10 Great Habits to Stick to
Remember When You Want to Quit
