“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” ∼ Carl Jung
Table of Contents
The Best Way to Start a New Habit
The result of a new habit never comes right away but little by little. We often get discouraged if we don’t see results immediately. So we go back to our old routine.
A new habit, bad or good can really lead to a new direction. The impact that a new habit can deliver over months or years can be huge.
In the beginning a new habit might not feel right, but you need to keep up until that habit becomes part of your whole personality. You become that habit. It’s is rooted in your mind and body. You’re ready to fight to defend it.
Genius Plan
To start a new habit you need a genius plan. That means you have to write it down. You can make that specific plan visibly appealing. If you like to draw, use Canva, stickers… it’s like a vision board, inspiring. This will help stick your new habit in your mind and more likely you will follow through.
First look at your weekly schedule and find a day when you can implement your new habit. The Next step is to specify time. When can you do it? Think about when you’re likely to be free to do it.The last step is the place of your new habit. Is it in the kitchen, the bedroom, the office…
Choose a day, time and place. Fill out the sentence.
I will A NEW HABIT on DATE at TIME in PLACE
For example: I will exercise on Mondays at 6am in my local gym.
This technique is also very effective for sticking to any goal you set. There’s magic in the written words. They have the power to provoke emotions, inspire and support.
We tell ourselves, “I’m going to loose weight” or “I’m going to exercise two times a week” but we never specify basic details of that new habit. When , Where , How we will do it.
We leave it up in the air hoping that we will remember some day to do it. Then we say we lack motivation when what we really lack is clarity. The perfect time and place don’t exist so don’t wait for them.
This formula I used to start practicing meditation every morning. I will sit still for 30 minutes every morning at 6:30 am in my yoga nook.
I have already talked about the importance of setting intention in the article 5 Morning Rituals For Successful Day. By setting my intention of meditating at exact time and place, I firmly decided to do so. All other notions like “Do I meditate this morning or not,” or “Should I stay longer in bed and do it later” are swept away because the decision was already made and the plan was set up.
Over time it became part of my identity. I am Kristina who meditates every morning for 30 minutes. We will do everything to defend our identity. Sometimes I don’t feel like doing it but I drag my butt to my red meditation cushion and tell myself to stay. 30 minutes later all my effort was worth it and I feel so proud.
You can start your new habit on Monday. There is something special about the first day of the week. On Monday I quit smoking, I start my diet, I stop eating chocolate… Monday holds some extra motivation, inspiration and fresh start. We feel hopeful.
You have to be very specific about your new habit. Time and space are the most important. Time holds memory, space holds purpose and energy. It becomes easier and natural.
Habit Stacking
There is a strategy called habit stacking. It was created by Stanford professor BJ Fogg.
This is a usual pattern we can see everywhere. You buy new pants and have to get a new shirt and earrings to match. It’s a chain reaction of purchases.
Each of our actions triggers another behaviour. After washing your hair you need to apply some conditioner then you dry it then you need to comb it …
We can use this strategy to create a new habit. We will stack our new habit to another habit that we do daily. This is helpful if you can’t seem to find time and location for your new behaviour. In this case you will add your new habit after your current habit.
After CURRENT HABIT I will NEW HABIT.
For example: After 15 minutes of stretching I will meditate for 30 minutes. After I finish my work I will go to gym.
The key is to tie that desired new habit into something you do each day. Make a list of your current habits. Find the best place to squeeze in a new habit.
Your morning routine could look like this: After I drink a cup of water, I will stretch for 10 minutes. After I stretch I will meditate for 5 minutes. After I meditate I will express gratitude and set intention for a new day. After I set intention I will make a yummy breakfast.
This will allow you to create a flow of desired behaviours. You don’t need to think about time and place because the current habit will guide you there.
Both strategies will increase your chance of sticking to your new behaviour.
Make it visible
Motivation is not the key for creating a new habit but environmental conditions. As psychologist Kurt Lewin once wrote, “Behaviour is a function of the Person in their Environment.”
You need to give your eyes cues of your new habit. You are the architect of your environment. Every habit is triggered by a cue. It’s not easy to do something when the cues are out of your sight.
Create cues that will draw your attention towards your new habit. Make them obvious.
My red meditation cushion is a cue for morning meditation. I bought also 5 little Buddha figurines and an incense burner box.
Redesign your place, make the cues visible. If you want to eat more fruits, place them on the kitchen counter so you can see them. If you want to do yoga every morning, create a little nook sprinkled with some yogi stuff. You will become designer and consumer of your own world.
Every habit should have a home and time!
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