Leanne Moore

TIPS TO FORM A NEW HABIT

Forget New Year, New Me! Why not try New Year New Habit? With 2021 now truly upon us, the pressure might be on to quickly start into a whole heap of “resolutions”. However a common downfall is starting off strong but quickly burning out due to the excessive amount you are trying to take on. Why not try commit to forming one new habit instead. Here are our top tips to form a new habit. 

 

  1. Commit to Thirty Days

One of the proven ways to help a new habit a stick is to, instead of thinking about keeping the habit for a whole year, commit to the first thirty days, taking one day at a time. If you think too far ahead, you might burn yourself out just by thinking about it. But instead, just take it daily and focus on the new habit when you’re doing it. The whole point is to enjoy yourself and work towards a goal; so just take it a day at a time and then reflect on it once the thirty days are over. By then, the habit will have formed and it will have become just a part of your daily routine.

 

  1. Stay Consistent

The more consistent your habit the easier it will be to stick. If you want to start exercising, try going at the same time, to the same place for your thirty days. When cues like the time of day, place and circumstances are the same in each case, it is easier to stick to.  This is why Lift by Leanne aims to have a consistent weekly schedule- so your body gets into a routine, as well as your mind! In staying consistent with your new habit – try not to miss two days in a row. Things come up from time to time that might throw us off  for a day but try jump straight back in the following day to get yourself back on track. 

 

  1. Do it for Yourself 

Don’t worry about all the things you “should” have as habits. Instead, tool your habits towards your goals and the things that motivate you. There will always be a million reasons not to do something; but when you do something for yourself, then there will be no reason not to do it. Think of your “why” when deciding on your habit. WHY do you want to do it? If that why is strong enough it might be all the motivation you need. 

 

  1. Take Baby Steps

The danger of relying on motivation alone to form a new habit is that you don’t have a backup plan for when you’re not in the mood. Really, the only way to make a habit stick is to turn it into automatic behaviour. You can do this by taking baby steps! The idea here is to create a micro-commitment where it’s impossible to fail. It’s more important to stay consistent and not miss a day to hit a specific milestone! This is why taking it a day at a time is so important; not only will it take you out of the big picture so you don’t overwhelm yourself, it will help you pace yourself and build you up to the goal you want!

 

5: Plan A Reward 

You are far more likely to stick to a new habit if it is rewarding or satisfying. In some cases your “why” might be enough but it won’t hurt to put a little reward in place. 

After 30 days of doing {habit} I will treat myself to {reward}.

Take a few moments now to think about the habit you are introducing this year and apply some of this advice to them. 

 

Best of luck! 

LIFT Team 

 

Don’t forget to follow us on social! We are on Instagram and Facebook