How to Build New Healthy Habits
We’re all creatures of habit and habits, according to Duke University researchers, are actually responsible for around 40% of our daily behaviors. From the time we wake up to the commute we take to work, much of what we do follows a daily pattern. Improving your health, happiness, and life, in general, requires understanding how to create new habits and how your present ones function.
However, many of us, especially around that time of making New Year’s resolutions, go about creating healthy habits the wrong way. Instead of going from 0 to 100, remember that habits are the small decisions you make and the actions you perform every day. Your life today is essentially the sum of these habits. Rather than rush into change, take it steady and be consistent.
Here’s a concise strategy manual on how to develop new habits that will stick and set you up for a year of success.
Start by Developing a Very Little Habit.
Most people remark something along the lines of "I just need more motivation" when they are having trouble forming new habits. Or, "I wish I had the same amount of resolve as you do."
This strategy is incorrect. Willpower, according to research, is like a muscle. As you use it during the day, it becomes worn out. You may also consider this in terms of the ebbs and flows of your motivation. Both up and down. BJ Fogg, a Stanford professor, refers to this as the "inspiration wave."
Choose a new habit that is simple enough that you won't require encouragement to stick with it to solve this issue. Instead of beginning with 50 pushups each day, start with 5 each day. Start by meditating for one minute each day rather than attempting to do so for ten. Make it simple enough that you won't need the motivation to do it.
Stay Calm. Set a Tempo That You Can Maintain.
The most important talent of all is perhaps the ability to wait your turn. If you are persistent and patient, you can achieve amazing success.
In the gym, you should go more slowly than you think if you are adding weight. You should start with fewer than you anticipate being able to handle if you are introducing daily sales calls to your business strategy. The key is patience. Do sustainable things.
It should be simple to form new habits, especially at first. It will get difficult enough, quickly enough, if you remain consistent and keep building your habit. It constantly does.
When You Falter, Quickly Get Back on Course.
Just like everyone else, top performers err, incur mistakes, and stray from their intended course. The distinction is that they resume their original course as soon as feasible.
Skipping a habit once, regardless of when it happens, has no discernible effect on your long-term development. Give up trying to be perfect and let go of your all-or-nothing outlook. While failure shouldn't be anticipated, it should be planned for. Spend some time thinking about what will stop your habit from occurring. What are some obstacles that might stand in your way? Which common crises are most likely to derail your plans? How do you intend to resolve these problems? Or, at the very least, how can you recover from them fast and get back on track?