- What Do We Know About Habit Formation? -
We’ve all been there: It’s Monday and you are all motivated and determined to start a new habit…or break a bad one. Whether it’s about starting a new fitness routine, getting more sleep, eating healthier, losing those 10 lbs, stop procrastinating, managing your time better, etc. the thought of a great reset in your life can make you feel exhilarated and bring about a feeling of “a better me, a healthier me” to mind.
Why is it that some people are able to follow through and others only last a few weeks?
Well, let’s see what most of us know about the recipe for Habit Formation:
Goals
Discipline
Motivation
Resilience
You’ve probably heard about the 21/90 rule, aka you do it for 21 days and once the habit is established, you continue for another 90 days. Other studies have debunked that rule as a myth and shown that it actually takes 66 days and even up to 254 days to form a new habit.
So many studies and self-help books have been written about Habit Formation and in the end, no matter how much help, tips and rules you get, it all works differently for every single individual. We are all different, our brains are not wired the same way and our environment tremendously impacts our habits and attempts to change them as we move through life.
So what can help you?
Definitely a deeper understanding of how Habit Formation works
Strategies to make it fit your style & personality
Ongoing accountability and motivation
A Deeper Understanding of Habit Formation
If asked to think of an expert on habits, James Clear automatically comes to mind. He is the living proof that his strategies work and has done extensive research on Habit Formation over the years. In his book, Atomic Habits, he gives the basis for Habit Formation and concrete, practical ways that you can apply to any habit you want to create or break.
The clear illustrations and examples he gives of his 4-step process can help you to quickly implement a few practical strategies to get started. He delves into the #1 culprit of failure or resistance to Habit Formation: Cravings. The role of dopamine in the whole picture makes you understand why most people fail at breaking a habit or starting a new one. He also provides you with tools and visuals for your journey on to new fulfilling habits.
Quick Overview of Atomic Habits
In case you don’t have time to read the book or if you keep finding yourself in the “Valley of Disappointment” when trying to create or break a habit, here is a great animated summary of his book by B.C Marx :
He does a great job of extracting the essential info you can apply to your Habit Formation journey, with clear nifty visuals.
A Life Coach Can help You
Another great way to get your new habit going or to ditch an unwanted one is to get a Life Coach onboard with you. Getting a professional certified Life Coach can help you get started and stay the course for good, past the “Valley of Disappointment”.
Here are a few areas where a Life Coach can help you in developing your new habit:
Create Self-awareness
Reframing your Mindset
Ongoing motivation and willpower
Tools to get your new habit to last
Accountability along the way
See what you’re truly capable of when you have the right systems in place and the support to make it long-term, as part of the 🌟NEW YOU🌟.
Here is my Booking Calendar if you feel like it’s time to make a change and get some support in place to make it last.
It’s never too late to make a change.
It’s never too late to start again.
Habits, habits, habits…Tell me what’s on your mind.