Is there anything you would like to incorporate into your routine but don’t know where to start? In her book 100 Easy Healthy Habits Tara Rayburn gives some great advise on how to get a habit to stick. I have used this method and been able to continuously maintain new habits for 5 months now. Here is how it works: First, write out 3 healthy goals you want to reach and then pick one of the 3. In my case it was getting up at the same time every morning “feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day”. Second, brainstorm 10-20 habits that support your goal, no habit is too small or insignificant if it will help you reach the target. It would look something like this:
Goal: Get up at 7:00am every morning feeling refreshed and ready for the day
Supporting Habits:
- Be in bed by 11:00 (8 hrs of sleep)
- No coffee after 5:00pm (6 hrs before bed)
- No alcohol after 10:00
- Start night routine by 10:30 (then define routine)
- Create wind-down playlist
- Use a natural light alarm clock in the morning
- Set coffee maker to have coffee brewing when alarm rings
Get creative! Maybe there’s a scent that relaxes you, put it into a diffuser! Once you have made your “Habits” list, it’s time to pick one out and practice it for a week. It may be the “no coffee after 5:00” or the new “playlist”, pick just one at a time and practice it all week. Rain or shine. Be consistent for the whole week. At the end of the week check in with yourself to see if it worked and if it’s worth keeping. Then pick a second one from the list. Once you have finished with all your supportive habits, you will have attained your goal! What I love about this system is that each new habit you add is a small step that is attainable, so it doesn’t seem too overwhelming.
Here’s another example.
Goal: Exercise 3 times a week after work.
Habits:
- Have workout clothes in the car
- Have at least three sets of workout clothes in the car
- Keep a snack to eat before and after workout in the car
- Keep a water bottle in the car
- Have my earphones in my gym bag
- Create three different playlists
- Pick three activities/exercises I like
It may be that for the first week you just work on getting a great GYM bag. Be kind to yourself and patient, this may be a slower process than what you are used to trying, but it’s far more likely to create permanent habits!