Continuing from yesterday’s post title, 3 Steps to Creating New Habits, we are going to be talking about some simple hacks to help you build new habits. Creating new habits isn’t easy. Here are six simple hacks that will make it a little easier. Use them until you’ve internalized the new habit and don’t need them anymore.
Schedule It And Put It On The To-Do List
Sometimes we forget to do that new thing we were trying. Maybe we forget that we’re supposed to be having eggs for breakfast instead of a stack of waffles, or that we need to get that daily walk in. If you look at my blog posts, I have it on my calendar to write my blog post early in my day.
Schedule your new habits or make them part of your daily to-do list until they become something you do automatically.
Make It Public and Be Accountable
Let family and friends know what new habits you’re trying to establish. They will call you out if you don’t stick to your plan and get you back on track.
You may even go as far as sharing it publicly on Facebook or write a blog about your new journey. Knowing that others read it and know about it might be just enough to keep you going when you feel like throwing in the towel.
Piggyback On A Habit You Already Have
Whenever possible, add the new habit to one you already have. For example, if you fix a cup of tea or coffee at 4pm, and you want to get in the habit of taking a daily walk, make the new ritual to go for your walk and then come back and enjoy your tea.
It’s much easier to amend an existing habit or ritual than creating an entirely new one.
Make Slipups Costly
Here’s a fun idea. Put a jar on the kitchen counter and each time you slip back into your bad habit or forget to stick to the new one you have to put five dollars in the jar. It will quickly help you remember to skip that sugary food and motivate you to go out for that walk. For extra motivation donate the money to charity at the end of the month or hand it over to your spouse to go spend on him or herself.
Find A Partner and Help Each Other Along
Find someone with the same or similar goal. This could be a workout partner or a diet buddy. Keep tabs on each other and encourage each other to keep going. It’s much harder to skip a walk if you know someone else is depending on you being there. And if you really want to add this accountability to it….
Make It A Group Challenge
If one accountability partner is good, a whole group is even better. And they don’t even need to be local. Find a supportive group online and challenge each other to stick to your new habit for the next 30 days or so. Not wanting to be the first one to give up will keep all of you going until you establish that new habit.
People ask me why I run the Ultimate Blog Challenge. One of the reasons is that it keeps me accountable to the group and helps me be consistent!
Give these simple little hacks a try. Keep using the ones that you find helpful until you have made new habits you can stick with without the help of any tools or support.
Thanks for this validation and reminders. I like the jar on the counter! I’ve heard this, but have never tried it.
Just a little something to try out! Thanks!
Nice post…lots of helpful tips. Love it!
Thanks, Jean!
Those are some really great tips. I am a list person, so, point #1 is applied. I also announced on social media about the diet which I am following. Makes me accountable. And I’m participating in UBC. So yay to us 🙂
Yes! Yeah to Us! And especially, Yeah to you, Shalini!
declaring goals on social media certainly helps
Sharing your goals publically is always a good way to increase your accountability! So… sharing on Social Media multiplies that exponentially.
I post a list of my resolutions on the wall (I used to keep them on my screen, but all the work makes it harder to see them all the time) in red ink on black paper. SInce the walls are white, it can’t be missed.
That ‘In Your Face’ strategy works for me too!
Thanks for sharing these great tips! Thanks also for running the Ultimate Blog Challenge!
You are very welcome, Urailak!
New habits are a challenge for sure but I find if I work on one at a time it’s easier for me to “complete” my challenge. I like the jar hack!
I agree completely!
I like the way you think Paul. I teach my clients about changing or exchanging habits all the time. It’s very powerful. Thanks for articulating it so well.
My pleasure, Karen!
Interesting post, Paul. I cannot write early in the morning even if I want to. There are house chores that need to be prioritized. 😀 😀 😀
I like the jar suggestion, too. I prefer TO DO LIST.
Whatever works for you, Bing! Stick with it and it will become a habit.
Finding a partner to keep you accountable is key!
It certainly helps. AND… if your partner is participating in the same ‘challenge’ it works even better!
Thanks for the great tips and reminders, Paul. I could easily throw in my towels but making a public announcement makes me more accountable.
The more people that know, the harder it is to stop because you are bored, or tired, or just want to do something else, or (insert any reason you tell yourself!)