How to Establish a Good Habit

Establishing a good habit is more of proper planning than any willpower you may have. Good habits are harder to start than bad habits but repeating something 19 times a habit can become established.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. What do you want: The first step is to define what good habit you would like and why. The habit has to have benefits and you most have motivation for the change. Maybe you would like to get up each morning and exercise. You must defined the habit and list the reasons why it is needed. This will improve your chances for success.

2. 
    

   Set goals and commit to those goals: Write down your goals for this new habit. Keep the goal with you or in sight so you always know what it is. Have a target that you would like to hit. Track this target using a calendar or planner. Reward yourself every time you hit it. Say your goal is to eat three vegetables a day for at least five days a week. If you hit that goal, maybe you give yourself a bowl of ice cream as a reward. This will reinforce the positive habit and make it stronger. If you surpass the goal and eat the veggies seven days a week, give yourself an added bonus.

3. 
    

   Put a time fence around your good habit: Give yourself a set time that you will commit to this good habit. It could be a certain amount of days, weeks or months. Whatever you set, stick to it. Do not break this fence by stopping. Try to keep the good habit going for the full allotted time. Once you have gone past the allotted time, stopping the good habit becomes more difficult.

4. 
    

   Put it on autopilot: Create a habit by putting your actions on autopilot. Create a habit of getting ready for your new habit. If you want to get up and run every morning then do the same things every morning. Get up and have your workout clothes, shoes and watch in the same place. Put your clothes, shoes and watch on before you do anything else. It’s harder to say no when you are ready to go. Momentum is hard to stop once it gets going.

5. 
    

   Start slowly and be forgiving: Don’t start out so fast that the new habit becomes a burden. If you want to exercise everyday, don’t start with 3 hour workouts. Try 15 or 20 minutes and work your way up to where you would like to be. Starting fast is a sure fire way to flame out before you get going. If you do take a misstep, forgive yourself. Get back on track at the earliest convenience. Remember Rome wasn’t built in a day. Continue to work towards that good habit.

[MyJB]

on 5/5/2009 Good tips. I especially like number 3. Put a fence around your goals. Setting a time to start and finish a goal is the hard part for me, being a stubborn procrastinator. Thanks.