How to Create a New Habit
There’s a saying that when things get difficult, you won’t rise to the level of your goals but fall to the level of your systems. It’s true that when we get busy or distracted, our goals can fall by the wayside. The best way to avoid that is to build systems and habits that push you closer to your goals every single day, no matter what life throws your way. But how?
Be Specific
The first step is identifying your goal. Maybe you want to drink more water, learn Spanish, or meditate. Once you know what you want to do, be specific and realistic. These goals should be input goals, rather than output goals. You can’t always control the outcome, but you can control your input. For example, you can’t guarantee that you’ll be fluent in Spanish in one year (and it seems pretty unlikely), but you can set a goal of practicing and studying Spanish for 30 minutes per day.
Create a Plan
Your plan should take that specific goal, and give it a “when.” For example, if you want to meditate every day for 5 minutes, pick a time that cues you to do it. For example, as soon as you wake up, before you even get out of bed, you do five minutes of meditation. Creating a cue for your habit will make it easier to stick to if you know “every day after I wake up, I meditate.”
Make it Fun
When we first want to create a new habit or set a new goal, we have all the willpower in the world. As days or weeks go by, that shiny new goal loses some of its luster. Make the habit fun to do. If you want to be active more, find a way to exercise that you look forward to, or reward yourself with a treat that also helps you reach your goals.
Be Flexible
Even the best plans can go awry. If you’re committed to your new habit and you miss the cue to do it, don’t skip it. Find another pocket of time in your day to check that new habit off your list, whether it’s a walk during your lunch break when you miss your morning jog, meditating before bed instead of in the morning, or carving out time to study Spanish while you eat dinner. Repetition is what builds the habit over time, and you’re more likely to do it if you allow some flexibility.
Get Support
If you want to start a habit of running, you should join a running club. If you want to brush up on your Spanish, spend more time with friends who speak it. Finding people around you who are already doing the things you want to do can make it easier to overcome challenges, learn more, and connect with new people. Even if you just join some groups online, or participate in a monthly challenge, it helps to surround yourself with people who have a similar goal.
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