How to Make Habits Stick
Some of us are creatures of great routine and some of us are not. When it’s hard to make habits stick, it’s easy to get discouraged. We label ourselves as unable to create or stick with habits. With ADHD, it’s especially hard to create and stick to habits or routines. Habits are not always about being more disciplined. Habits are about finding ways to incorporate small changes that add up. How do you make habits stick? Here are 5 ways to make habits more consistent in your life.
Find your habit success first
Surprisingly most people don’t know what habits are sticking. Start with that awareness. Do you consistently do any one thing? It can be something so small you don’t recognize it. It can be a personal hygiene routine like brushing your teeth, a family activity like attending church or a time topic like being on time routinely. Once you know one habit is working, it’s a great way to start a new habit.
Start a small actionable habit
Over and over we hear it takes 21 days to create a new habit. Research shows it is actually longer. However, often we are trying to tackle more than one habit at a time. Start with something small and specific that you can accomplish. Find one small part of a new habit you want to create and work just on that small piece.
Hook your habit
Now that you know about a successful habit, it’s time to hook onto this. This means you are doing this new habit just after your existing habit. This way you have the bonus of starting off with success. It’s a powerful way to see change.
Start today
There’s no time like the present. As Nike says, “Just Do It.” Starting today means you are committing to change. End procrastination by saying that today is the day. Start right now.
Hold yourself accountable
There are two sides to creating new habits, both procrastination and perfectionism. We give ourselves the option to just start tomorrow and procrastinate. We give ourselves permission to call it quits because we haven’t done the task perfectly day in and day out. Acknowledge both of these and be committed for a 3 month time. Be accountable with data with apps that help. Announce your intention to your best friend and have them support you in a loving way. Create a chart you check off daily to see progress. If you miss a day, get back on the wagon right away.
How to make habits stick? Try just one of these tricks or tools for at least a month and see what happens!
Habits are so incredibly powerful… when I think of the habits I started years ago, I almost can’t NOT do them! One of the best ways to break a bad habit is really to start a new one in its place.. so it is about positive change rather than simply trying to stop doing something.
True Seana! A new habit replacing an older (not good) habit is a double win.
I think we need to take it one day at a time and forgive ourselves when we are off track. Thanks for sharing.
Yes! Every day is a new opportunity to get started. Not being hard on ourselves gives us ways to learn instead.