Once you have selected your new healthy or lifestyle habits, it is time to do them and keep doing them. Starting with new habits is the easiest part. It is sticking to them, day after day that is the biggest challenge. Here are some tips for making your habits stick.
Why it is Hard to Make Habits Stick
First of all, you should understand exactly why it can be difficult to actually stick to a habit. Creating a new habit is truly the simple part. Sometimes, it is just a matter of not having the right motivation, but in other cases, the problem is in the habit itself.
If your habit is too difficult, you probably won’t stick to it very long. See if there is a way to simplify it.
A habit you can stick to is once you are able to enjoy it. Even habits like exercising can be enjoyable if you choose the right one. Hate running? Then do something else!
You need to fit it into your lifestyle. Just because someone else is starting a habit where they get up every day at 3 am doesn’t mean that is going to work for you. It needs to be attainable.
Find Your Purpose
When you are still in the process of choosing a new habit, make sure you understand why you are doing it. You really need to understand the purpose and how it will benefit you in order to stick to it. This means analyzing the habit, how it will change your life or routine, and what the lasting benefits can be. Sure, you want to make your bed every morning, but do you know it is important to you? This is what you need to focus on first in order to have a habit you can stick with.
Remember Only One at a Time
This is something you will hear repeated over and over again regarding forming new habits, because of how important it is. Start with just one new habit at a time! Once you feel comfortable and confident in your new habit, you can then start adding more to it.
Commit to a Short Period of Time First
It helps to track your habit and try to pick a short period of time where you will do it every day. A good way to start is by doing it for 30 days, though some you might want to extend to 90 days as this is the amount of time it really takes for a new habit to take effect.