How to Create 4 New Habits A Year
I don’t know anyone who hasn’t made a New Year’s resolution at one time in their lives. I also don’t know anyone who’s ever stuck with their New Year’s resolutions.
Long term, resolutions don’t seem to work. Small habits do however, and when you add several small habits together, you end up with a big sustainable habit at the end of the year, or 4 small sustainable habits.
Either way, you’re improving the quality of your life and moving closer to the person you really want to be.
When we think about creating a habit, it’s usually because we believe we’ll be happier if we change something. If we’re really unhappy with how something is going, it’s sometimes easier to get motivated to do something differently.
When things are going pretty well however, it’s can be harder to get motivated to make changes that will take us to the next level of whatever we are searching for.
There are four seasons in every year, each representing a change (especially if you live in New England). Seasonal change is a great time to create and maintain a new habit.
To be successful in creating and maintaining your habit, there is some thought that has to occur beforehand. I find it very useful to answer the following questions:
What do you really want to change?
How do you plan to do this?
Why do you want to make this change?
What are you willing to give up to ensure that you are successful?
For example,
This year I decided I wanted to complete the Wim Hof breathing method and cold showers daily.
To make this happen I do the breathing every morning before I get out of bed and then take a warm shower followed by a cold shower as soon as I get out of bed, regardless of what day it is.
I decided I wanted this change because I believe it will help me to be healthier both physically and mentally, which is important to me.
I am willing to give up a little bit of sleep each morning to get the breathing done before getting up and I’m willing to give up some comfort while in the cold shower so I can experience the benefits once I’m done.
Your new habit need to be small enough that you know with 100% certainty that you can commit to it every single day. Many of the books written about habits suggest linking a new habit to an old one and making them super easy to do.
Some examples of new habits:
If you want to drink more water, keep a glass in the bathroom and start by drinking 8 ounces of water right after you brush your teeth
If you want to create a meditation habit, start with one minute of deep breathing while waiting for your coffee or tea to brew in the morning.
If you want to be healthier physically, commit to 5 minutes of exercise every single day. It doesn’t matter what it is, just do it every day, or just show up at your gym every day for 5 minutes.
By starting small and sticking with your habit for one season (3 months) you create consistency. When the new season starts, you can add a new little habit into your routine, or expand upon your current habit.
Two of the main reasons we fail at new habits is that we make them too big and they’re not sustainable and/or we try to create too many new habits at once .
Start small and let yourself be successful. Feel good about your little habit and stick with it for 3 months before adding to it or creating a new habit.
Just remember that you’re not replacing the first habit with a new one. A habit is something you do automatically and don’t need to think about! You’ve already made that happen. Now you’re adding a second habit or expanding upon your first one.
Action Steps:
Consider one small change you would like to make in your life … something you can accomplish in 5 minutes or less each day.
Think about when you would be most likely to succeed in creating this new habit.
Start today and enjoy watching your growth each year.
