How to Build a Habit
Whenever you hear about the "after” of someone's success story, it may seem like there was one defining moment that led to that success, or even that the success happened overnight. We often think big goals need big action, but that is not always the case. How many times have you set out with grand plans, only to end up overwhelmed? Followed by not taking any action at all? You certainly can have a grand goal, and I encourage you too in life, but what will actually get you to the end goal?
How success and change actually happen is small, consistent improvements on a daily basis. Aka, our habits. What we are in the habit of doing regularly.
What is a habit?
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary a habit is, “a settled tendency or usual manner of behavior.” And the Cambridge Dictionary, “something that you do often and regularly, sometimes without knowing you do it.”
We want to make small changes, keep it doable, and stay consistent. Over time, these small wins can compound into significant change. “Habits create the foundation for mastery” James Clear. Every master was a beginner. It can be really easy to dismiss the impact of daily habits or small changes because you are not where you want to be RIGHT NOW. You might not get the reward of these actions right away. One salad will not make you fit, just like one bowl of ice cream will not make you gain weight. It is only the repetition of these actions that create either outcome.
Doing the same habit or routine over and over for a desired outcome might seem boring or dull, but when we focus on the right way to approach them, we can create a life we love AND reach the goals we set.
When our habits are aligned with the life we want to live, and the goals we set, we have a certain freedom. “There is freedom in commitment” Jordan Peterson. The opposite is also true, when we act in a way that goes against what we want, and we have poor habits, we really struggle to achieve what it is we really want. What if you want financial freedom, but your habits do not align with that desire? You will keep struggling. You can want it all you want, but making a change in poor spending habits is what it would take to make a difference. You can fill in the blank with health, weight loss, learning something new, reading more books, etc. If you do not have a habit of reading, how far will you get into your book list?
The day to day may not seem like it adds up to much, but a lifetime is made up of just one day after another. When it comes to day to day choices, James Clear says, “These choices determine the difference between who you are and who you could be.”
So who do you want to be? What do you want to achieve?
Let’s talk about how to get you there!
If you are anything like me, you like to have a map of where you are going before you actually get on the road. Here is an overview of the step by step process I am going to teach you. This can be implemented over and over with any habit. It is easy to apply and helps you to take action over and over.
Here we will focus on how to start AND keep going. We will keep it simple. The following steps will help you build a strong foundation of habits for life.
Here it is: PLAN, ACTION, REFLECT, REPEAT.
Yep that’s it. Four steps. That is all you gotta know.
Let’s dive in.
Plan - This lays the foundation for your success, you have to know where you are going to get there!
Action - Next, we get to where we are going by taking action. We make habits concrete by taking action.
Reflect - Reflecting on how things are going can help us make necessary improvements to keep moving forward. No matter the journey, we will hit roadblocks and obstacles, so we have to think through these and reevaluate in order to keep on going.
Repeat - You can go anywhere you like once you figure out how to start and continue the journey! You never have to start again if you just keep moving forward.
For a comprehensive breakdown of each step, check out our course, Habits Refocused, where we dive into each area with step by step guidance.
For now, we will keep it simple.
Plan. Think about the habit(s) you want to make concrete in your routine. Ask yourself WHAT the habits are and WHY you want them to be habits in your life. If you have more than a handful you would like to work on, write them ALL down, and then pick just a few to work on. I recommend starting with six or less. Preferably less to give yourself the best chance of them sticking. Keep it super simple and doable. Next, fill out a habit tracker with your habits. (Download below!) We will use this when it comes time to take action. Not sure what are good habits to incorporate in your life? Check out our Pillars of Health on our WR Wellness Guide.
Action. Now, actually do the habit. Take action. Read your pages, walk your set time or distance, wake up at the first alarm. Do the thing. Track your progress daily with your habit tracker. (Some habits may not need to happen every single day, so it is ok for some days to be left blank.) If you want to learn best practices to make taking action easier for yourself, check out Habits Refocused. Bonus, I teach you how to break bad habits too!
Reflect. It is important to take a moment to reflect on how things are going. You can do a quick reflection at the end of each day, or at the end of the week. Or both! Or if you would rather reflect on the day the next morning with fresh eyes, you can do that too. The goal is to find out what is working for you, and what is not. This is how we become deliberate with continually improving. Find what's working, and change what is not. I HIGHLY recommend keeping track of your reflections, whether that's in a journal, my fav, something in a notes app, a voice memo, a video recording. Anything. Give it a try, even if you are hesitant. So much magic happens in the reflection process. It can help you build your own little data store that is specifically helpful to you and the goals you have for yourself.
Repeat. You have your habits, you are taking action, you are reflecting on what is working and what is not. Now, repeat that process. The next thing you know, you will be taking action on your habits with more ease than you imagined possible.
Can your life really be transformed by one small change? What about two, or three? The answer is absolutely!
As you continue to make small changes, they create a solid foundation that you can continually build upon. Along the way, it becomes easier and easier to establish habits because you are also building trust in your relationship with yourself that you are the kind of person who can follow through AND really do this!
The secret to success and getting results is to never stop making improvements. Never stop taking those steps. Eventually you will find yourself in an entirely different place, and you will never want to go back to where you were. But we have learned that those steps do not have to be gigantic leaps that seem out of your grasp. They are small, doable, and consistent actions. And you have the power to take them.
I hope this process allows you to find freedom in choosing your path in life as you are taking action in small ways that will result in big change.
My life has been transformed by taking these small steps. If you want more step by step guidance on how to make your habits a reality, enroll in our habit course, Habits Refocused. We dive deeper in best practices for making action easier, recognizing obstacles and how to overcome them, your mindset, questions for a thorough reflection, and so much more!
Habit tracker
Get a sneak peak of Habits Refocused by watching the video below on how to use a habit tracker.