3 reasons why your new habits aren't sticking and how to fix it
Every time you miss a day/session/practice you use it as an excuse to “fall off the wagon”
If you often hear yourself say “I’ll start again on Monday” after a daily blip, you are reinforcing a habit, just not the one you want to reinforce!
The solution - be kind to yourself, forgive the environment, forgetfulness, busy day or whatever got in the way of you carrying through your plan and then in the words of James Clear “never miss twice”.
2. The new habit you are trying to build is just too big
It’s easy to over-estimate our motivation. How many times have you sat on the sofa on a certain Sunday at the end of April and pledged to be one of those London Marathon runners next year? Getting swept up in the emotion and excitement, despite the fact that the moths have seen your trainers more than you have recently! You download your training plan that requires you to run 4 times a week and the motivation lasts about 4 minutes into your first run. In this example, you’ve focused on the goal (run 26.2 miles) and forgotten about all the systems and processes that it takes to get you there.
The solution - chunk it down. Ridiculous through it may sound, setting a micro habit is the way to nail that big goal. Try building your habit muscle by setting out your running kit every night before bed. Build this habit first and the next micro step of putting it on and heading out the door for 5 minutes becomes a piece of cake. the secret here is to build the desire to build on the habit. To create and strengthen a cue that motivates you to crave putting on the kit and running
3. You can’t see yourself as someone who has the new habit that you want to create.
What we repeat becomes who we are. Habits and identity are inextricably linked. If you cannot picture yourself as a runner/ punctual/a non-smoker and instead hold on to your identity as someone who hates exercise/is fashionably late/a social smoker your attempts to change your habits will be in vain.
The solution - climb into the skin of the person you aspire to, try it on, note down the habits and behaviours this person would demonstrate, get really specific and then start small, with one tiny habit that you can genuinely identify with.
Keen to understand your blocks to building new habits, book a FREE discovery chat with Kelly.