The 7 habits of creating good habits

With the new year upon us, many will be embarking on new years resolutions.

For most of us, these resolutions tend to collapse even before January ends and there’s good reason for that. When you begin any new self-improvement program, your enthusiasm is high and you’re motivated by the pleasure of what you want or the pain of what you don’t want. But motivation naturally diminishes with time.

Have you ever driven to work and not remembered how you got there? Sure, the vast majority of life is dictated habitually by the subconscious mind, this is why you can do almost everythingwithout thinking about it. By consciously deciding to create a new habit, you can harness the power of your unconscious to create a new neural pathway. Once a new habit is established it becomes easy to do automatically—motivation and willpower are no longer required.

Here are seven steps (with thanks to the late Steven Covey for his seven habits theme) to turn any desired new activity into a habit. Once a habit is established (and no it doesn’t take 21 days, research shows it could take 8 days or a year), you’ll find yourself doing it effortlessly. These techniques can be used for any habit you want to make or change—diet, exercise, meditation, stress reduction, sleep habits, etc.

1. Set yourself Little Goals

Setting big goals is exciting but starting with small, boring goals is more likely to lead to success.

A small goal, for example, would be to meditate for 1 minute, or replace one unhealthy snack with fruit, or walk 5 minutes per day. The little goal is the start, but not the finish of your goal. For me it goes down to breaking things into 1 minute time sections, if it only takes a minute then why not do it.  Put your running shoes on- it’ll only take a minute, got your running shoes on, why not go downstairs only takes a minute, downstairs, why not just run to the end of the road, only takes a minute- and you’re on your way to exercise.

Taking small actions tricks your brain. Your subconscious likes to be in control—it doesn’t like change. A big change often sets up subconscious resistance, but you can sneak a small change by it.

2. Understand and Use Triggers

A trigger is something that leads you to automatically doing something else. Many overeaters, for example, crave something sweet after a meal, and that could be ice cream, a cookie. Why not use triggers to your advantage. If you commit to always exercise after lunch, then after a few weeks you’ll automatically think about going for a walk after your midday meal. Desire something sweet- what about a small handful of grapes, or mango? Visual triggers work well, too. Getting your workout clothes ready in the morning will encourage you to work out when you get home from work.

3. Plan to Do It Early

Knowing that your willpower wanes during the course of a day filled with temptation, why not schedule your small willpower challenges early in your day. Exercise or meditate in the morning when your willpower is high, and you’ll reap the rewards all day.

4. Be Prepared

Make sure you have everything you need to ensure your success. If you want to start a walking program, get comfortable walking shoes and a pedometer. (People who wear a pedometer walk 27% more than those who don’t.) If you want to stop eating unhealthy snacks- remove them form your house and your work.

5. Make it more convenient

The more difficult and time consuming it is to take an action, the less likely you will do it. This is why so many people who buy gym memberships drop out—it’s just not that convenient. Get everything you need ready ahead of schedule so that when it is time to take action, you can, as Nike says, “Just Do It.” Or take an initial step that only takes a minute. Or stock up on healthy snacks around the house that ear easy to eat.

6. Don’t Break the Chain

When Jerry Seinfeld was an unknown, he created the habit of writing new material daily using a wall calendar and a red marker. Every day that he managed to write, he would put a big red “X” on the calendar. He didn’t want to see any blank days that “broke the chain.” Use this technique for one month and you’ll find your new habit will largely be formed.

By using these steps to create a habit, you’re tricking your brain into creating a new neural pathway. Once the habit is formed, you can use it to serve as a gateway to bigger changes that can truly change your life.

And if you use these methods, please share your experiences here.