What are habits?
Habits are a regular tendency or practice that is hard to give up. Our habits are what we do most. At some point in our lives a action or inaction fed a emotion. That action was repeated until it became part of our identity. Once you have connected your habit to your identity then it is very hard to break that association. If the habit you cultivated is good then excellent but if it is not then you should change. A need or a emotion was met when you developed your bad habit, finding out that piece of information is vital in changing it.
Ways of building positive habits
Consistency
Consistency really is the key when it comes to building habits. Small bursts of motivation will only get you so far. For years I would dive head first into a new habit, full steam ahead. when I wouldn’t see immediate results I would revert back to my old ways. you will not change over night, you need to put in the effort on a daily basis. Do not think about the outcome, concentrate on the process. stay consistent with your actions and they will become part of your identity.
Start small
One of the worst mistakes I see people making when it comes to learning a new habit is taking on to much, to soon. You wouldn’t sprint before you can walk. would you? So why put more on your plate then you can handle. Make it such a small requirement that it would be hard not to do it. Want to learn to write? Then do three creative sentences a day. Most of the time you will do much more, but with that minimum cushion you still feel you have achieved something.
Wanna get stronger? Do 3 pullups a day. It will take less then ten seconds and you will reinforce the habit. After the three pull ups you will probably do more or change the exercise, But all of that is extra curriculum. Now you have performed the bare minimum for a few weeks, It is time to slowly crank it up. By the time you have reached 100 sentences a day , The habit is truly formed.
Make it as easy as possible
Preparation is a great tool when learning a new habit. Having your running shoes ready by the front door, Your laptop on your sofa, Your guitar in your living room. Make the habit as accessible as possible. Have it constantly reminders you throughout the day until you have done your daily requirements. When you have to spend time on setting up the environment and not on the actual habit, You are putting friction between it. There is real weight in the saying “out of sight, out of mind.” Make your journey easier and you are more likely to succeed.
Tools I use to build habits
Journaling
I consider journaling a super power, I do not know how I functioned without it. It has given me direction, insights and introspection. I also keep a small habit tracker on the corner of my daily page. This is a contingency plan for when I miss going on my habit tracker app. physically ticking off your habit for the day feels different and motivates you carry on. Just another reason why you should begin journaling.
Habit tracker
You have a huge array of different habit tracking apps. They all have their benefits and shortcomings but I wouldn’t be without one. My rule of thumb is that I always favour a free option and get by just fine with them. If you are serious about making changes in your life then a paid app will give you some great extra features. I currently use TICKTICK on the iPhone. It has my to do list and my habit tracker all in one convenient app. I put it blatantly on my home page so I remember to click on it daily. oh and it is free.
Social media blocker
I don’t know the technical term for these kind of apps, I do know that they work. your attention is a multi billion dollar industry. companies design social media to keep you addicted and entertained. instead of having the temptation to scroll, I use these blockers to completely lock me out. I set the rules and once I have done what I need to do, I am free to scroll as much as I want.
