Building New Habits
Change Your Mindset and Environment
Overview
Building a new habit can be challenging. Here are some suggestions to help you with your mindset and your environment. Some of these will work better for you than others.
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Associate bad things with doing the old habit.
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For the new habit, associate good things with doing it and bad things with not doing it.
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Tie the new habit to an existing activity. For example, tie exercise to leaving work.
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Schedule the new activity for the same time each day.
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Block the time on your calendar and set a reminder.
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Use the buddy system and find someone who will do the activity with you.
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Get an accountability partner you can be honest with and who will be honest with you. Pick someone you will never lie to and won’t want to disappoint.
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Add peer pressure by telling your friends and family.
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Make it a game by finding someone you can compete with.
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Put skin in the game by having monetary penalties or other consequences if you don’t reach your goal.
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Choose a reward for when you complete your goal.
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Select a reward for each time you do the new activity. You can’t have the reward unless you do it. The reward can happen before or after the activity.
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Put pictures of what achieving your goal looks like on your refrigerator.
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Talk to an expert, learn new things, and acquire new skills that will help you achieve your goal.
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Create a list of risks or obstacles that might keep you from doing your new activity. For each one, create a list of things you can do to get yourself back on track.
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Create an environment that promotes success. For example, if your biggest weakness is watching sports on your couch, then disconnect the TV and remove the couch cushions. If you like eating junk food, don’t allow any of it in your house.
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Track your progress so you can see the improvements you are making over time.
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Be kind to yourself. If you make a mistake, just acknowledge it and get back on track. It isn’t easy to change and you’re not a robot.
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Be patient. Take baby steps towards your goal. Rome wasn’t built overnight, and you shouldn’t expect your changes to happen immediately.
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Live one day at a time. Focus on what you need to do and not do, in the present moment.
Explore our solutions to learn more about Building New Habits and how we can help you transform your life.