Tip 1: Write down the entire plan
The first step to developing good habits is to take some time and design the habit or routine you wish to develop.
You need to recognize where the habit starts. For example, the habit of waking up early starts the night before because what happens the night before can have a big impact on how I feel the next day, and therefore whether I can get up early enough to run.
So if you want to get up early, you have to spend time studying how you can go to bed earlier. A lot has been written about this, so you can expand your reading by typing in article search: early to bed, sleep.
You can develop a regular process when you get up early, and when you are familiar with it, you will automatically complete everything in the same way and in the same order every morning. Even if the process is occasionally interrupted, it will resume automatically, like a “drone”.
Tip 2: Identify small habits
Once you have written down everything you plan to do, find the little habits in it.
The author’s morning routine includes at least seven small habits: waking up, meditating, dressing, exercising, showering, eating breakfast, and cleaning the kitchen. Within these smaller habits are several more smaller micro-habits: ways to brush your teeth and put on makeup, for example.
Each of these things has a trigger, a set of behavioral habits that rely on conscious completion, and different forms of rewards. What micro-habits do you have right now? And what micro-habits do you need to develop?
Tip #3: Leave ambition behind
The most important thing to do when developing habits is to forget about the whole ambition thing. You read that right – ditch the ambition to get everything done beautifully.
To not get too ambitious in setting new goals, we can try to build up slowly. When I first started developing the habit of early morning meditation, my goal was to sit on my meditation cushion for 30 seconds every morning.
The first few steps might be a little tough, so you need to do something extra easy: something that requires little effort. That way, your brain won’t encounter any resistance when you start doing something, and you can reap the benefits of a sense of accomplishment when you finish the task.
Tip #4: Key Little Habits in Little Habits
The small habits mentioned during the morning flow, some of which are rooted in the larger plan, can play a key role. These habits can disrupt our flow and create a series of ripple effects.
One more example. I have found that setting my alarm clock the night before can be critical to my success when developing an early morning workout habit. I used to skip setting my alarm and get up at a different time each morning, which not only required more effort on my part, but also diminished the effect of key triggers. Getting up 15 minutes late would disrupt my entire morning flow. Therefore, the habit of setting the alarm clock the night before plays a crucial role.
Tip #5: Prepare in advance
The seemingly insignificant details are crucial when developing new habits. We need to determine what are the key factors for success and also think about how we should allow ourselves to overcome the difficulties we encounter.
If you can prepare in advance for how to face different difficulties, then the probability of achieving your goals will also increase. Studies have shown that, to a large extent, a patient’s success in rehabilitating after hip replacement surgery depends on their ability to consider all the difficulties that will arise during the rehab process and develop a detailed plan to face them.
What kind of difficulties can you anticipate? And what will you do to plan for them? Don’t forget to guard against those who create obstacles in your life. For example, my husband didn’t support me going to bed early for my morning workout and tried to convince me to stay up later with him. I firmly told him that he was getting in the way of my plans and that I needed him to support my morning routine, not tear it down. Eventually, he finally stopped trying to persuade me and it was easier for me to carry out my own plan.
Tip #6: Identify your triggers
Consciously assign a trigger to your habit: one that stays the same every time you want to trigger the habit. For example, an alarm that goes off at the same time every morning is a trigger for my morning routine. (Thus, the alarm clock and the time of day are both triggers.)
If you’re turning a bad habit into a good habit, you’ll have to use your existing triggers. If you are not sure what the trigger is for a habit you want to change, spend a few days writing down the thoughts, feelings, environmental characteristics, behavioral traits, and other factors you can think of before the habitual behavior occurs. In my case, after several attempts, I found that the only trigger that worked for exercise was that I had to get up early every day.
Tip #7: Find the intrinsic reward
When developing habits, we can make dopamine work for me instead of being an obstacle for us. To develop a good habit, you need a reward that brings a great deal of satisfaction. This reward must be immediate, and it is even better if it can be inserted into the process when necessary.
To achieve this, we can make the habit more satisfying and more fun, which is exactly why I listen to Deepak Chopra’s recordings (short, simple and inspiring, like an iceberg lettuce salad with bacon and blue cheese) while I sit in meditation (a very serious and prolonged form of internal observation, like giving my brain kale).
Tip #8: Measure progress
Measuring is also an important part of developing habits. There is measurement, and then there is progress. (Or you could say, “It’s by measuring that you get your work done. “) For example, we weigh more every day than we weigh once a week to lose weight, and this is because measurement stimulates our perception of behavior. For example, if you can record everything you eat in a food diary, you’ll be more aware of what you’re taking in than if you don’t pay much attention and are too lazy to record the food you take in each day. Given that much of what we do is mindless, we can use measurement to become aware of our bad habits while training ourselves to put good habits into action unconsciously.
Tip #9: Avoid self-loathing
There is a lurking landmine to be avoided: when monitoring your actions, don’t get too complacent about the progress you’ve made and beware of the “licensing effect” ( licensing effect. We first behave well and then “balance” our positive behavior by breaking the rules, which is what researchers call the licensing effect. Oddly enough, whether it’s something as big as running every day for a month or something as small as not picking up plastic bags at the grocery store, when we do something in line with our goals and values, we do something bad to balance it out. It’s like the inner elephant is saying, “I’ve been good! Just let me lie here for a while, or at least give me a snack! “
To avoid the permission effect, we need to focus on our goals and values. You can ask yourself, “Why don’t you drive instead of ride a bike? Is there a great mission waiting for you to achieve? What benefits can the habits you are developing bring to you and others? Questions like these can help us avoid self-imposed slacking.
Since the permission effect is also known as “moral permission,” another way to avoid it is to avoid using moral terms to label our progress The permission effect is also called “moral permission. Maybe you’re trying to stay calm when your kids talk back instead of yelling, and you can count the number of conscious deep breaths your kids take when they talk back, instead of gloating that you’re a kind and calm parent. Being a “better parent” is a moral term, and taking a deep breath is not emotional. Avoiding moral judgments can help us avoid using “moral license.
Tip 10: Exercise the “muscle” of willpower
Willpower or self-control is like a muscle that gets fatigued, and the more self-control is used, the more fatigued it becomes. Eventually, the elephant rider is so tired that he drifts off to sleep and wilts away on the huge beast. And at that point, the elephant can do whatever he wants.
Using willpower in one area will deplete all the willpower allocated to other areas. The same willpower is needed for the constant encroachment of calendar reminders and friend circles.
One of the most surprising phenomena in research on willpower is that when we intentionally work on one thing that requires self-restraint, other aspects of our lives tend to move in a positive direction as well. For example, researchers have asked college students to pay more attention to one area of their lives, such as watching their posture during the day or their finances for a few weeks, and then they tend to complete the “watch less TV, exercise more, and eat better” waitlist. After that, these college students tend to put “less TV, more exercise and better eating habits” on their to-do lists.
Don’t forget to focus on just one small thing; and be aware that the benefits are cumulative. Maybe you just work on one small habit, but the willpower you build is what you need to develop more good habits.
Tip #11: Try to make good decisions in advance
When limited willpower is depleted, we tend to do the familiar or easy things rather than try new things. There are three ways we can beat this brain trap. First, we can make decisions in advance whenever possible. For example, determine the destination, the way to get there, and what to bring. So instead of waiting until you are about to leave that morning to decide whether to drive or walk to work, decide the night before.
Next, set up your environment to support your decision. For example, tuck your work shoes into the bottom of your backpack and put your sneakers by the door. If you move to drive, put your car keys in an out-of-the-way location to prevent you from dropping by in the morning.
Finally, make a detailed plan for yourself to face the challenge. If there is a chance of rain when you get up early, then prepare a blue poncho to wear beforehand.
Tip 12: Self-compassion
If we want to follow through with our positive goals, we need to use security as a guarantee. Under stress, the brain tries to activate our dopamine system in order to get rid of the stress; and the dopamine rush makes temptation seem more irresistible. You can think of it as the brain urging you to find security in comfort, like hitting the “remind me later” button on your alarm clock in the morning instead of getting up to run. Choosing to eat fried onion rings instead of vegetables, or being lazy and taking a cab instead of struggling to ride your bike to work.
The best thing to do when developing new habits is to find ways to bring comfort to yourself before the elephant takes over. What you need might be a hug, or maybe a funny video.
Tip 13: Take a nap
There are two simple reasons why sleep helps to bolster our willpower. First, even a slight lack of sleep can cause the brain’s alarm system to overreact to stress. The more stressful it is, the weaker our willpower becomes and the less power we have to resist temptation. Second, sleep deprivation interferes with our body’s and brain’s use of glucose, the body’s most important fuel, which in turn impairs cellular metabolism that absorbs energy from glucose. Self-control requires a lot of energy, and low energy equates to weak willpower. Therefore, maintaining 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day can help us stimulate the self-control needed to develop new habits.
Tip 14: Have some afternoon tea
We all know that it is more difficult to concentrate or resist temptation when you are hungry.
A famous group of studies showed that people who were given lemonade or any food that could raise their blood sugar performed better on tasks that required self-control. It’s as if our brains are saving our blood sugar for us: if it drops, the brain shifts into conservation mode and doesn’t activate the areas that must be used for high levels of self-control. If blood sugar rises, the brain thinks: “Well, I have enough energy to do this difficult task, so let’s activate the willpower center. “Trying to resist the temptation to eat sweets when you’re hungry can be a real “Amitabha ” because the brain will use sweets as both a reward to stimulate dopamine and as a blood sugar booster.
When we are in a slightly dehydrated state, attention and self-control will respond in the same way. Studies have shown that subjects who are only 2% dehydrated have developed a response of difficulty concentrating, although they have not yet developed a feeling of thirst. This brief attention deficit can be adjusted by drinking water.
Tip 15: Don’t say “never”
The temptation in front of us is indeed difficult to refuse, but if we say “no” to ourselves, it often leads to temptation more attractive. Instead of telling yourself you can’t have a cookie or watch TV, you can say to yourself that if you want a cookie you can have one in a few hours, or come back later and watch TV. Then, go distract yourself!
Tip #16: Support from a back-up group
It’s also best not to go it alone when we’re developing new habits. So surround yourself with people who understand and support you. I can’t emphasize enough the critical role this plays in success.
The most important reason why we need a support group is that this “cabinet” helps us stay accountable and provides us with Some willpower from the outside. Most people care about what others think of them, and if we can make our goals public, even if we only share them with a small group of close friends, that goal becomes more powerful. In addition to that, others can help us when we are mentally exhausted so that we don’t get derailed.
Second, humans are herd animals and often do the same things as those around them. Relevant research provides strong evidence that our behavior is not only influenced by our friends, but also by our friends’ friends’ friends. This is the way of the elephant: an elephant is more likely to follow the herd than to listen to the elephant rider on its back, and even more so when the rider wants the elephant to set off on an unfamiliar trail. The actions of others are highly contagious, and therefore, those who are close to the elephant are more likely to follow. This means that if you want to make meditation or running a habit, it’s good to find a meditation or running group, or just stay with the appropriate senior enthusiast (which should also be fun).
Tip 17: Allow yourself to make slow progress
Once you can consciously sit down in your meditation chair, get on the treadmill or order a salad with your lunch, you can take another slow step forward – one more minute of meditation, 30 more steps, or consider swapping your post-lunch macchiato with a double caramel for a less sugary latte. Once you’ve lightened up on these habits, move on to add some smaller tasks.
Remember: If you can keep your ambitions in check, your odds of success will increase in the long run. For example, keep working out every morning and add 1 minute to your workout every week. 10 weeks later, you’ll only be working out for 10 minutes a day, and that’s not even enough time to lose 10 pounds [1] of meat. Thinking about it, you may be a little frustrated, but you do not forget that you can reap three vital things.
First, you’ve gotten into the habit of working out! Second, you’re getting 10 more minutes of exercise a day than you did 11 weeks ago (that’s over an hour a week), and those workouts are enough to give you increased energy, help you sleep better, get you to produce more growth hormone, and make you feel younger, smarter, and more energetic. Hooray for yourself! At the end of the day, you’ve proven yourself capable of developing good habits and sticking to them, and you have unlimited potential!
It’s better than nothing!
Once you’ve formed your new habits, prepare a set of processes that are not perfect but are very beneficial to have on hand. I have a little “better than nothing” routine that is only 2 minutes long. I can do this simple workout routine in my pajamas when I’m traveling, oversleeping, or not feeling so good. It only takes a few minutes, so I don’t have to go through the internal struggle to just put it into action. I do a workout every weekday because I want to deepen the habit, and because I choose to link it to “wake up with the alarm and meditate”. together. As soon as I wake up to the alarm, I get up, go to the bathroom, get dressed, do my meditation, and work out (even if I’m only doing a two-minute routine).
If I feel sick, I go through the whole process in my brain and imagine myself completing each workout, which maintains and deepens the habit-forming neural pathways in my brain.
Tip #18: Expect (big or small) failure
Unless you’re Superman, you won’t have smooth sailing on your way to developing new habits. You’ll inevitably stumble, and you’ll even fall hard. Studies have found that 88% of people don’t stick to their guns. 100% of people who develop new habits are negligent. Negligence is a normal part of the process of developing habits, and it is important that we distinguish the difference between negligence and falling.
For example, in the middle of a climb, negligence means tripping or falling because you tripped. This can hurt and even make you want to give up. And if we do give up, then negligence becomes a fall. It’s important to distinguish between negligence and outright depravity, and to respond appropriately to each negligence. Again: one oversight or even a fall does not make the difference, it’s how you react that counts. The next few suggestions will help you overcome some of the inevitable oversights and falls.
Tip #19: Beware of the “what the heck” effect
Say you swore you’d never touch white sugar again, but then you eat a pie for breakfast. Well, you’re probably now subject to what’s known as the “break-the-bank effect” (AVE), which is also known jokingly as the The “what the heck” effect. If you’ve broken the bank on weight loss today, why not go crazy? Who cares, you can start over tomorrow anyway. Right? Wrong! The more damage you do by overeating, the higher the probability of repeating it the next day, and the less confidence you have to change yourself. Once you find yourself falling, you can try the following to avoid the “what the heck” effect.
Don’t get too emotional and don’t get caught up in self-criticism, but forgive yourself. Remind yourself that negligence is part of the process, and that feeling guilty and beating yourself up for your actions won’t do you any good for future success.
-Re-engage in your plan (do it now, not tomorrow). Why do you want to make this change? What benefits will it bring you? Take a few deep breaths and think calmly about your goals.
-Make a plan for the next time you encounter a similar difficulty. How will you do things differently? What have you learned from this fall? What temptations can you eliminate this time? Are there any key little habits that need to be adjusted? Are you under stress? Are you in a state of exhaustion or hunger? If so, what can you do to avoid it next time?
-Ask for help from the “cabinet” as soon as possible and let them help you get back on track.
Tip #20: Regroup, revise, adjust, double your commitment
In order to be better tomorrow, you must find the reasons behind the fall. So, what are the difficulties that you didn’t see or weren’t able to prepare for ahead of time? What adjustments do you need to make to your process? Are your triggers stable? Are you in too much of a hurry to get things done? Once you’ve thought this through, create a detailed set of plans.
After going through all the difficulties, I was able to make a plan for the next action I should take. It took me almost 6 months to get these habits fixed, a neural pathway that has been forming in my brain for several years now.
With this important habit, I have better energy and strength, improved sleep quality, and more patience with my children. On top of that, it has confirmed to me the power of habit.
Tip 21: Start over with more frustration
Everyone has failed on the way to developing a new habit, and some have failed many times.
In reality, whenever we adopt a habit or start developing one, we are training the elephant in the room and chiseling a path that we can retrace later. So, we can think of the cycle of habit formation as an upward spiral. You may feel like you’ve gone back to square one, but you’ve made progress from where you were before. So, if you’ve “fallen off the wagon,” start over from the first stage. Remember, you now have more new knowledge, and you understand what works and what doesn’t. You are ready to develop new habits.
Are you ready to develop new habits? You may have a big plan for yourself and want to do something really hard or uninteresting. But in this case, the easiest and most effective thing to do is to start with the least difficult habit you can develop.
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