we are all about developing successful habits as what we repeatedly do shapes our
future and who we are.
But these new behaviors will make no difference if we don’t stick to them.
Implementing a new thing may be hard-it takes time, and consistency is key.
But it’s quite simple. You need to start small, focus on making one change, divide your new habit into tiny
daily steps and find ways to stay motivated throughout the journey.
You:
become a better version of yourself;
increase willpower;
build character;become a role model;
create a better future;
fight your weaknesses;
feel proud of yourself;
become confident;
reach goals;
and much more.
And, of course, there are some tricks and strategies to use that make things easier,
faster and simpler.
So here are 30 of the best tips I’ve found that help us be consistent in what we’re
trying to achieve, and stay motivated:
30 Ways to Build New Habits and Make Them Stick
1. Choose one habit. Just one.
2. Know why you’re doing all this.
You need to have a clear reason, it will be your driving force.
Maybe you want to be healthier, make a change, help others, reach a goal, look or
feel better. Whatever that is, you need to be aware of it. Without that, you’ll have no direction. And will eventually start asking yourself why you’re doing it. And you may lose point and give up.
3. Remind yourself of that reason as often as you can.
4. Focus on just starting.
5. Turn your habit into a goal.
Write down the final result you want. Then break it down into small steps. Make
them specific and tiny.
6. Start small.
Let the habit you’re trying to develop take no longer than a few minutes a day in the
beginning.
7. Make the daily step easy.
You have one step to take each day. It will take no time. But you should also make it
so simple that it will be impossible for you to say no.
Like doing just five pushups, or meditating for just two minutes.
8. If you miss a day, let it go and repeat the action step the next day.
Don’t get discouraged by such a little thing and stop trying to be perfect.
9. Never miss 3 days in a row.
You may miss one, or even two. But don’t allow yourself to do it three times (at least
for the first month).
Because if you do, you’re more likely to give up on the whole thing.
10. Use reminders.
Be it an alarm, notes in visible places, or asking someone to remind you.
You just need to be sure that you won’t forget to do the daily action.
11. Set a specific time.
Habits stick more if you do them at the same time every day.
This way the behavior will become a constant part of your schedule and you’ll
remember it more easily.
12. Have a cue.
The best kind of reminder is to put the habit after something you already do daily.
If you want to start flossing, for example, you can do it right after you brush your
teeth.
You’re always going to do the first thing no matter what, and considering that flossing
takes a minute, you’re much more likely to do it without using any willpower.
13. Have a reward.
If you want to start going to the gym regularly, you may tell yourself that you can
have a snack only after a workout.
You may be on a diet, but this way you’ll earn your daily portion of your favorite food.
And your body will burn it immediately.
14. Have something to look forward to.
If you want to start getting up early, why don’t you plan a great 1-hour morning routine that’s only for yourself?
That will be your quiet time and you’ll have a reason to get out of bed.
15. Visualize success.
Take some time every now and then to imagine the outcome in details.
If your final goal is a great body, see yourself on the beach, feeling confident in your skin. Others will be looking at you like never before. You’re tanned. Your stomach is flat. You’ll even take photos in a swimming suit and so on.
16. Hold yourself accountable by sharing how things are going to a friend.
17. Connect with others building the same habit.
Whatever it is that you’re trying to achieve, you’re not alone.
Find your community, join groups, communicate
with other like-minded people online, share ideas and encourage each other.
18. Motivate yourself when feeling down.
There are times when you’ll feel like there’s no progress, when you’ll be craving bad
behaviors, and will want to give up.
But it’s just a temporary phase. You just need to go through it.
So read blogs of successful people, books on the subject, powerful quotes, watch
inspirational videos, print pictures and put them in certain places. Little things like these help a lot.
19. Affirmations.
Write down a few positive statements about the change you’re going through, how
bad you want to succeed and how great you’ll feel in the end.
Read them out loud in from of the mirror every morning or before you go to bed.
That technique works wonders.
20. Be prepared.
If your new habit will be to eat veggies with every meal, for instance, then buy them
in advance and prepare before going away so that you can have them ready
wherever you go.
21. Enjoy the process.
Don’t be so focused on the final result. The journey is your present moment, so try to
make the best of it.
It feels great to know that you’re doing something for yourself, you’re fighting your
demons, building character and creating a new you and better future.
22. Self-talk.
Whenever you find yourself on the verge of giving up, have a serious conversation with yourself.
Remind yourself why you started, go over the steps and goals one more time, read
your mantras, tell yourself that you’re making progress every day and it’s all worth it.
23.Make it a priority.
Having no time, forgetting, not knowing where to start or not feeling like it aren’t
excuses.
Write the daily step that building the habit requires on the top of your to-do list,
make it one of your most important tasks for the day.
Prioritizing is crucial for success.
24. Eliminate temptations.
Not everything in your surroundings is under your control. But you need to take care
of what is.
Get rid of the junk food at home if you’re trying to lose weight. Don’t go shopping if
you’re trying to save money. Spend less time with people who are negative if your
goal is to become a positive person.
25. Track progress.
Write down what you do each day, at what time, how long it takes and how you feel
about it.
This helps you stay accountable and
lets you see the bigger picture when you don’t
know how you’re doing.
26. Let go.
Every now and then you’re going to feel overwhelmed by all the changes you’re
making, depressed because you’re missing out on something (getting up early, for
example, means
not going to the party the night before), discouraged when you don’t
see progress or sad because you’ll remind yourself of the last time you tried to build a
new habit and failed.
Leave all these thoughts behind. Let go of what was and what will be. It doesn’t really matter.
Focus on the present moment:- it’s the only place where you can do something about
becoming a better person and creating a great future.
Your job is to make the small daily step connected to the new habit. Everything else
will fall int
o place.
27. Feel good about what you’re doing.
Even if it’s only been a few days since you started doing the new things, feel proud
about it. Most people don’t even start.
Admit you successes and don’t be afraid to mention your accomplishments in front of others.
28. Challenge yourself.
It’s all a mind game, after all.
So sometimes it’s easier to just trick your mind into believing something.
Repeatedly tell yourself that it’s important to make it just till the end of this week and
don’t think about later.
You’ll let your mind know it’s just a permanent thing and it will be easier to stick.
Then, when the week is over, you’ll feel accomplished, may have seen some progress
or proved yourself it’s not that hard.
So it will be easier to make it till the end
of the month this time.
And so on.
29. Be positive.
Even if you fail, tomorrow’s another chance.
Be sure that you’ll see progress, become better and succeed. Believe in your abilities
and potential. Smile no matter what.
30. Inspire others to do the same.
By making a good habit stick you earn other people’s respect. You become a role
model and motivate them to change too.
And this becomes your reason to keep doing what you do.
.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the comment writers alone and does not reflect or represent the views of Victor Duru
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