How to start great habits - and stick to them

Excellence is not an act, but a habit. (Aristotle)

Recognize this? You want to be fitter and more toned, so you set yourself a challenge: "I'll go to the gym every night after work!" Or: "I'll run 5k every morning before breakfast!"

You're super excited: you buy a new running top, the first few days you start really strong... and then...

And then life happens. You're tired. You have to work late. That 6am run in the rain doesn't seem quite so appealing. After a while, your new routine peters out... and you're back to square one. Maybe to repeat the same process a few months later.

I've been there. Many times – with working out; with my diet; or with other exciting "life changes".

But finally, I changed the way I did things. And over the past few years, I’ve run two half-marathons, started a morning routine, drastically reduced the amount of sugar and caffeine I consume, stopped using my phone after 9pm… and many other things that have massively improved my life.

How did I do them? I created habits. And it's not as hard as you think – if you follow the points below.

A 10-step guide to creating habits that stick:
 

1. Start with one habit at a time. We often try to change our lives in one day. It's easy to get over-motivated and take on too much, which is one of the main reasons people give up habits. Relax: once the habit is in place, then you can scale up.
   
   
2. Stay consistent: go to the gym at the same time on the same day, for example. And don’t miss two days/times in a row – once every now and then won't ruin your habit (see point 8) – but twice makes it harder to get back into.
   
   
3. Make good habits easier and bad habits harder, e.g. hide junk food, and have healthy snacks ready to go and accessible.
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4. Build a new identity: e.g. “I'm a gym goer… I'm the type of person who enjoys outdoor exercise” (etc). Decide the type of person you want to be, and prove it to yourself with small wins. [Connected to that: associate with role models. Spend more time with people who model the habits you want to mirror.]
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5. Form a trigger: a ritual you use right before your habit. A study found that people got stronger flossing habits if they flossed after they brushed their teeth – rather than before – because they had a cue which made it easier to remember to floss. After a while the association between flossing and brushing became automatic.
   
   
6. Use accountability – team up with someone. For my new morning routine, I texted a friend to tell her when I had done my morning stretches. Knowing she would be waiting to hear from me was the only reason I got up at 6:30am that first day!
   
   
7. Start a 30-day challenge – do one habit every day for a month.
   
   
8. Often it's easier to start a time habit (read for 20 minutes a day) than one based on outcome (read 20 pages a day) – you’re more likely to achieve the first.
   
   
9. Replace the habit. If you’re giving something up, make sure you’re replacing any needs (e.g. if watching TV gave you a way to relax, find something else to replace that same need).
   
   
10. Be imperfect – don’t expect all your attempts to change habits to be successful immediately. Try your best, but expect a few bumps along the way. You will skip your habit from time to time; life crops up. But it doesn’t mean you have to give up.
    
    

Bonus tip:

Analyze why your habit might not be sticking, and what you can do to change that:

"When I sat down to analyze why I wasn’t going to the gym, I realized: my closet was in another room. That meant I had to walk out in the cold [to] put on my clothes. It was easier to just stay in bed. Once I realized this, I folded my clothes and shoes the night before. When I woke up the next morning, I would roll over and see my gym clothes sitting on the floor. The result? My gym attendance soared by over 300%."

Quote from Ramit Sethi, personal finance advisor, entrepreneur, and author of “I Will Teach You to Be Rich”.

One final note…

Do it for yourself – don’t worry about all the things you “should” have as habits. Choose things that move you towards your goals and that motivate you.

About the author:

Hi! I'm Claire - an accountability coach and blogger. I work with side-hustlers, helping them work consistently and more productively so they make solid progress, week after week.

I run 30-day habit challenges, and a 6-month accountability program for side-hustlers and new business owners looking to make progress, prioritize their to-do lists, and tackle overwhelm. The next program starts in April 2019, so click here to grab your spot before registrations close! 

Whatever stage you're at, it's easier to make progress with someone behind you, cheering you on! 
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❤