In today's blog I will be going over a few tips to help implement new habits into your daily routine. The hardest part creating new healthy habits is just starting them, the first step and I will give you a few ways to get this process going.
The 30 Day Rule
Often you will read that the best way to create a new habit is to repeat that action for thirty days. If you can do that, then eventually you will have ingrained the behavior deeply enough that you won’t be able to stop.
Thirty days would theoretically be long enough for you to rehearse an action long enough for it to become ingrained at least somewhat, but that ‘magic number’ is actually very much subjective and random. There is no reason that doing something for thirty days should be any better than doing something for 29 days or 31 days.
This does seems to be accurate in a way and if you can stick to a new behavior for that long, you’ll at least be on the right track. This makes the setting in your mind a bit easier also. If you know that you have to exercise first thing in the morning for thirty days only, then that can be easier to stomach than thinking you have to do it permanently.
Micro Habits
Struggling to floss your teeth every day, even just for those 30 days? You might want to try using something called ‘micro habits’. The idea of a micro habit is essentially to hack the 30 day trial by finding a way to stick to your habit for that long much easier by breaking down the new intended habit into something that is extremely easy and simple to stick to.
For example: Floss just one tooth and then a different tooth each night. This is a two second job so there should be no difficulty in sticking to it. Break down your new habits into the smallest step. That small step opens the door into building the discipline to take the action which is essentially the hardest part. Once you’re on track of doing a micro habit, it will be easier to continue to add more steps to get to the full habit you intend to achieve.
Steemit
It might be tough to start writing a post on Steemit at times or commenting on others. If you start to write just one sentence or paragraph each day or one comment on another post, you will start to form the habit of doing so and it will then be much easier to up the quantity. Micro steps eventually add up to being a ton or completing what you set out to do!
For exercising it could be so hard to start but if you just start with one push up a day, you can easily continue to add another over time until you are doing reps of 100 in the day!
Try to avoid a scenario where you might look at your micro habit and feel that it is ‘pointless’ so you can just ignore it. The hardest part if getting started and you will notice that just doing a micro habit will often lead to completely finishing the whole habit.
Attach New Habits to Current Surroundings
For an extra boost try attaching your old habits and your current surroundings. If you want to create a habit of flossing your teeth, then a good option is to attach this onto a habit you already stick to: such as brushing your teeth! Make it so that this process is one of the same and must be completed together.
Another example is picking a specific point in the day for it to come after – such as you’re morning coffee. This works because it connects the new behavior to old ones inside your brain. You have a network of neurons that fires whenever you make your morning coffee. Now, when that network of neurons fire up, they should also cause the new habit network to light up. In essence makes it easier for you to have the will power to start the new habit.
Environment and Convenience
You need to find a convenient time for your new habit and place in which to do it. You need to know that time and place is always going to be convenient. Working out for example, you always need to a gym available already and a time that is convenient.
Why? Because you could then be stuck in your patterns and make the excuse that they are always more important and can never find the right opportunity.
Keeping your environment and surroundings consistent is important to help encourage your habit. This is why when trying to break a habit, the advice is always to change your surroundings immediately.
The Power of Routine
One action is a habit but if you string these together, then you have a routine.
This is incredibly important for accomplishing goals and if you can build a routine for yourself that contains multiple good habits, then you’ll find that you massively enhance your likelihood of success in all areas.
When you have one good habit set up, start to stream line your day by adding each one after the other in the most convenient ways.
Habit is great but change things up!
Don’t forget that the value in life comes from mixing things up and trying new things. Don’t let yourself move backwards, or you will start to weaken and stop growing. Habits help you get to where you’re going, but don’t forget to enjoy the view along the way.
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