The easy way to Build Habits That Stick (Even on Tough Days)

Lasting change can only happen in three ways: 

– Having an epiphany

– Changing our environment, or 

– Altering our habits. 

Changing habits is the most actionable and sustainable. Small habits are fast and effective. If you want to learn a new behavior or achieve something significant, start small and start today. Let those small habits grow into giant successes over time. 

How to Build a Habit That Sticks

Implementing a new habit can feel difficult, but only if you don’t know how. The key to making a habit stick is pairing it with an immediate gratification gesture. This could be a small action like raising a fist in the air, tapping your shoulder, or smiling at yourself in the mirror. The gesture reinforces the habit through positive emotions. 

Why does this work? Because we are emotional beings. Whether we like it or not, our ancient brains respond strongly to emotional feedback. Try it yourself—you’ll see how effective it is! 

The Simple Habit Formula

The process for building habits is simple:  Anchor → New Behavior → Celebrate.

Example: Starting a Meditation Habit 

1. Anchor: Link the habit to an existing routine. For instance, after getting dressed for work, set a timer for 20 minutes. 

2. New Behavior: Meditate for those 20 minutes before heading to work. 

3. Celebrate: Immediately after completing the meditation, celebrate with a strong emotion.

Think of the anchor as the key that locks the new behavior in place. It’s essential to feel good about the habit because humans change best through positive reinforcement, not self-criticism. 

Why Habits Fail and How to Fix Them

If you’re struggling to implement a habit, ask yourself: 

– Is the anchor poorly chosen? Does another time or situation work better? 

– Do I have the ability to perform the habit?

– Am I motivated enough?

Motivation, while helpful, is temporary. You need a system to keep you on track, even on difficult days. 

Tips for Making Habits Easier

Be Clear About Your Targets, what will the new habit lead to?

Use details and visualization. Imagine explaining your target to a dog or cat. For example, if your goal is to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, you’d point to the top of the mountain, then the path leading there, and start walking. Break your habit into clear, actionable steps. 

Reduce Friction

Make the habit as easy as possible. For instance: 

Choose a specific place to practice. 

Use tools like comfortable running shoes to simplify the task. 

Celebrate Consistency

Consistency matters more than intensity. On tough days, even a small effort counts. If your plan was to work out for an hour but you only manage 10 minutes, that’s still a win. Celebrate the effort! 

Avoid Guilt 

Missing one day is okay, but two days is a new habit in the making. Stick to the rule: 

Grow Over Time

Once the habit becomes routine, you can gradually increase its difficulty or duration. 

The Role of Habits in a Distracting World 

In today’s world of constant distractions, good habits are essential. They help us stay focused, disciplined, and resilient against the endless temptations that steal our time. The clearer and easier we make our habits, the better we can resist these obstructions and stay on the path to success. 

Focus on making new behaviors enjoyable, sustainable, and friction-free. Over time, these habits will lead to meaningful and lasting change. 

Be great! Evolve and get better.   

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