6 Proven Ways to Stick to a New Habit without Failure
Wouldn’t it be nice if everything was automatic? Your trash would take out itself, and dishes would jump in the sink for a bath? Eating healthy, exercise, and office work would be on autopilot, and all you’d have to do is rest all day long. All of this could only be possible if scientists invent robot servants. But before that, you need to do all the chores yourself and stick to new habits instead of leaving them halfway through.
Quitting habits might seem harmless, but it triggers your mind into being a quitter. It starts from avoiding to do your dishes and mounts to leaving work without completing your tasks. Procrastination takes root in your behavior, and it drastically affects your personal growth and development.
If you develop new habits and fail when it comes to commitment, you need to re-engineer your mind. In this blog post, I’ll share some of my techniques that helped me stick to new habits and surely help you. So keep reading for more information on how to stick to new habits.
How Do I Stick To New Habits?
It’s an innocent question that leads to adverse consequences if not handled appropriately. With a little discipline and self-control, you can come one step closer to personal development and stick to new habits. Here are some tips for making new habits and sticking to them.
1. Commit to 40 Days
The general rule of making a habit permanent is sticking to it for 30 days. But that never worked for me. Thirty days is a countable number, and I would only commit to my new habit for the duration. However, I changed the rule a little bit to make my habits stick for longer. Instead of 30, I plan to stick to my new habits for 40 days. Since 40 is ten additional days from a month, it helped make my new habits permanent because I couldn’t keep track of how long I was practicing them.
2. Being Consistent
Consistency is the key to making new habits permanent. When you keep repeating a task without fail, your mind will automatically make a place for it in your schedule. However, the best way to be consistent is to take out a particular hour of the day for your new habit and practice it at that time. When you keep this up for 40 days, your brain will automatically ring an alarm when that hour is coming closer.
3. Start Slow
Most people fail to stick to new habits is because they go all out in the first few weeks. Whether it’s going to the gym or reading a book, you need to be slow. Start by spending 30 minutes at the gym for 1 or 2 weeks, depending on your personality. From there, keep increasing your time by 10 or 15 minutes until you become habitual of working out for 1hour and 30 minutes. If you go all out at the start, you will tire yourself and won’t work out the following day. You will break your consistency, and your mind will resort to procrastination.
4. Keep Reminding Yourself Why You Are Doing It
Reminding yourself why you picked up your new habit is an excellent way to make it permanent. Most people have trouble going to the gym; so, I will continue with this example. Try posting pictures of athletes or bodybuilders on your walls to keep you motivated and reminded of why you started to work out. In short, keep souvenirs that will remind you why you started your new habit. This way, you’ll be able to stay on track and away from being lethargic in the long run.
5. Find A Friend
Doing things alone can be boring for some people. The case was different for me as I liked to practice new things alone. However, if you enjoy the company of others, you should find a friend who is also into your new habit. You can keep each other motivated, and one’s progress will make the other person work harder to achieve the same goal. That is why most people start a business in a partnership agreement, even if they have the finances to manage things alone. Working beside someone keeps both parties motivated and on track. However, it would be best if you found someone you can truly connect with, so you can enjoy your time practicing your new habit.
6. Accept Imperfection or Late Results
Most people fail to stick to new habits because they expect perfection from the get-go, which impacts their behavior when they can’t do things as they thought. It’s okay to be imperfect during your first few weeks. Whether you are building a habit of waking up early or completing your work within deadline, you might fail a few times at the start. However, if you keep heading in the correct direction, you will be successful. Therefore, the best way to be consistent in new habits is by expecting imperfections or late results.
Final Verdict
Sticking to new habits is not as easy as it seems, but quitting habits can have adverse effects on your mind. While it might seem harmless not going to the gym anymore, but in reality, you are training your mind to give up. This habit can prolong and affect your personal growth. So try your best to stick to new habits and “NEVER” stop trying.
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