We all have times in our lives where we want to change our behavior for the better and create new habits for ourselves. This could be getting in the habit of eating healthier, moving our bodies more, or starting a spiritual practice like meditation. There are so many areas in our lives that could be improved and made easier if we created new habits.
Getting into the habit of doing something is often easier said than done. We seem to acquire bad habits without any effort, but getting into a healthy habit can be a little more challenging. Change is hard, for sure.
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Let’s break it down into a three-step process that makes it easy to follow until we’ve internalized the new behavior and made it a true habit – something we do automatically without having to think about.
1. Decide What You Want To Do
The first step is to decide what you want that new habit to be. Be as specific as possible. Don’t just tell yourself you want to exercise more. Instead say something like “I will go for a 30 minute walk every day”. Deciding what your new habit will be and committing to when and how you’re going to do it, is half the battle.
If you’re not sure what good habits you could start, I offer some suggestions in my 2-part video series Daily Routines For Healthy Living (below). The 2nd one will be linked at the end of this video.
2. Remind Yourself To Get It Done
The next few days should be smooth sailing. You’re motivated and excited to get this done. Sticking to your new habit isn’t an issue. But a few days in you’ll notice that it’s easy to slip back into old habits.
Maybe it’s raining and you don’t really want to go out and walk. Or maybe your day just gets away from you. This is when it’s important to have a daily reminder. Set an alert on your phone or add the new habit to your daily to-do list for a while. (Download a to-do list here)
3. Make It Part Of Your Routine Until It Becomes A Habit
It takes some time before a new behavior becomes a true habit. I’ve heard it can take anywhere from 21 days to 3 months, depending on the person. Until you hit that magic length of time, a routine will work to your best advantage. Even before the new behavior becomes automatic, a routine will help you get it done without having to spend a lot of willpower or relying on daily reminders.
Make that daily walk part of your after dinner routine, or change from grabbing a snack at the vending machine at work at 10:00 in the morning to packing a healthy snack.
If you’re a spontaneous person who loves variety, you can still have a daily routine. I have an article giving lots of helpful tips for creating a daily routine but still having variety and spontaneity.
If you are struggling with creating a routine, I have a few different daily routine planners in my Etsy shop, so check that out if you are looking for some ways to stay motivated and hold yourself accountable.
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