{goals} 3 things to consider if you want to create a habit

We all thought that while we were in lockdown, we’d have all the time in the world for all the things we wanted to add to our lives. But we forgot that we’d need to work longer hours, guide our children with their schooling, cook, clean and do more laundry and dishes than we ever dreamed possible.

Sometimes it amazes me that even though I’ve been creating (and breaking!) habits for years and years, I still don’t think through and plan things properly when I want to create a new habit.

And yet, when I do take just a few minutes to plan, it works out so much better than just winging it.

Some habits are more long-term like creating an exercise habit, some are medium-term like working on a project consistently for a determined period (building a website or getting a writing project up and running) and others are for a short time like a month (the photo challenges I participate in on Instagram come to mind).

Think about a good habit you want to build. 

Let me now share 3 things to consider if you want to create a good habit in your life:
 

1. Frequency
What is a realistic frequency to consider?

For a new exercise habit, 2 – 3 times a week might work better at first in starting to build a sustainable habit. Decide what would be an easy enough frequency to incorporate into your existing life, not your fantasy life. It is easier to increase frequency later once a habit is already established than to find the motivation to start up again if you burn out from going too hard too soon.

2. Energy
When is my energy highest for this type of activity?

If you want to create more time to make delicious meals, consider your energy levels. You might be willing, able and excited on a Saturday afternoon, but not on Wednesday evening after a day of meetings. Consider also the different types of energies required for the various activities – writing a blog post or reading requires a different energy than exercising, for instance.

3. Pairing
Which activity already occuring regularly is something to which I can attach my new habit?

Susannah Conway’s August break is now upon us. It’s one of my favourite parts of the entire year because for my entire birthday month, I get to be mindful and introspective. My natural flow is to move forward quickly but I’m a better me when I slow down occasionally and reflect. When Susannah announced the challenge a few weeks ago, a commenter mentioned that she always starts and then forgets after a few days. I couldn’t help replying with a tip that works really well for me – I screenshot the prompts and save the picture as my lockscreen. Whenever I then reach for my phone, I see the prompt (pairing something good with something automatic) and I start thinking about what to post. I have another pairing habit later at night – when I have my evening cup of tea, before I start reading my book, I quickly post my prompt.

If you have a habit you want to create, might I suggest that you put just a few minutes of thinking into it so that you set yourself up for success. You can do it!

Bonus tip

It probably goes without saying but using your Tendency’s strategies for success will help you embed habits in your life. If you’re not sure of your Tendency, or you do know but you’re not sure how to use it with regards to successful habit formation, either come on the last workshop with me, or book a private Four Tendencies coaching session (currently $60 for 60 minutes).

Your amazing habits

IMG_1071

We all have some things we do that we don’t even think about.

These are our habits.

Hopefully they’re good ones and not habits we need to break.

The best thing about habits are that once they’re ingrained, you don’t have to expend mental energy to make those good decisions on a daily or weekly basis.

Here are some of my current good habits to give you an idea:

  1. drink 2L of water daily
  2. go outside for at least 5 minutes a day (you might have seen some of my instagram stories where I literally just stand outside, breathe and look at the view, listen to the birds, etc.)
  3. connect with someone every day
  4. focus on one thing at a time
  5. set my intentions by making an eat the frog list every day
  6. charge my phone outside my bedroom
  7. read before bed, and at any other time I can
  8. hug and kiss the kids, and say I love you in their love languages
  9. put things away; don’t just put them down
  10. be authentic

We always remember the bad habits we have so let’s flip that around.

Tell me about some of your daily, amazing habits.

I conquered a new habit!

But first…

Discover yourself, a super-fun and insightful e-course/ workshop in your inbox, is now ready and waiting for you.

discover yourself

At the end of this course, you’ll have figured out your definition for success, your values, your passions, and your strengths. We’re also going to challenge your beliefs, and help you step out and live a more courageous and fearless life.

You’re going to LOVE it! Come on over to read some more.

********************************************

Creating a new habit |www.organisingqueen.com

I’m very excited to share more about a habit I never thought I’d actually get right.

The habit of cleaning my face every night.
I’d told myself things like I hardly wear make-up (true) and it’s such a schlep (also true) but really, I was/ am lazy.

And it’s not like that was a pressing goal every day but I knew it was the right thing to do – to take care of my skin better.

When I read about the Strategy of Convenience (or is it Inconvenience?) on Gretchen Rubin’s blog, I thought about how having my gym clothes ready helps with getting to the gym on a Saturday morning, and I started wondering what I could do to make things easier for me.

I read on a blog about a lady who cleans her face with facial cleansing wipes and it sparked a slight hmmm but then a few days later, I walked by the cleansing wipes at the shops and a lightbulb went on!

So I bought a pack just to try.

I chose a pack of 40 wipes just so I’d have more than enough (enough – my word!) to create and maintain this habit.

Those wipes didn’t even get packed away so I could start that very night.

Incidentally, that was 21 March, Michael Buble’s concert night 🙂

Creating a new habit |www.organisingqueen.com

The wipes stayed out on my bedside table and lo and behold, it was EASY to climb into bed, grab the wipes, clean my face, put on some Labello and open my book to read while I creamed my hands.

Easy.

By the end of the month, I could see it was working but I wanted to do a full 21 days, then 30 days, then I figured why not wait til the end of April.

And here we are.

I now clean my face at night.

I’ve since upped my game and put the wipes in a nice glass jar so they look prettier and take up less space.

I realise this is much more exciting for me than it is for you, but I wanted to throw it out there in case anyone has the same problem.

Go get yourself a pack of facial wipes.

If you’re frugal like me, and you don’t wear much make-up, half way through you’ll realise you can use half a wipe every day. So I cut them in half. It took about 30 seconds and I’ve extended the usage.

And if you want to start or stop a habit, make it more convenient or very inconvenient.

Do you clean your face every night?

How could you make it more convenient to create a good habit in your life?



Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

WP2Social Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com