6 Simple Hacks To Build New Habits

Creating new habits isn’t easy, so here are 6 simple hacks to build new habits. Use them until you don’t need them anymore. But remember, how do you eat an elephant…one bite at a time. Baby step through the process and reward small accomplishments. Now onto the 6 hacks.

Put It On The To-Do List

Sometimes we forget to do the new thing we are trying. Maybe we forget that we’re supposed to be having whole grain oats with fruit for breakfast instead of a stack of waffles, or that we need to go for our morning walk.

Schedule your new habits and make them part of your daily to-do list until they become something you do automatically. Make sure to check your to-do list every morning or night.

Make It Public and Be Accountable

Let family and friends know what new habits you’re trying to establish and ask for accountability. They will call you out if you don’t stick to your plan and hopefully help you get back on track.

You may even go as far as to share it publicly on Facebook or write a build new habits blog about your new journey. Knowing that others read it and know about it might be enough to keep you going when you feel like throwing in the towel.

Piggyback On A Current Habit

Whenever possible, piggyback a new habit with an old one. For example, if you fix a cup of tea or coffee at 4 pm, and you want to get in the habit of taking a daily walk, make it a point to go for your walk and then come back and enjoy your tea.  

It’s much easier to amend an existing habit or ritual than it is to create an entirely new one.

Make Slip-ups Costly

Here’s a fun idea. Put a jar on the kitchen counter and each time you slip back into your bad habit or forget to stick to the new one, put five dollars in the jar. It will quickly help you remember to skip that sugary food and motivate you to go out for that walk. For extra motivation donate the money to charity at the end of the month or hand it over to your spouse to spend.

Find A Partner and Help Each Other Along

Find someone with the same or similar goal. This person could be a workout partner or a diet buddy. Keep tabs on and encourage each other to keep going. It’s much harder to skip a walk if you know someone else is depending on you to be there.

Do you remember my past article about asking for help? You can find it here: Ask For Help.

Make It A Group Challenge

If one accountability partner is good, a whole group is even better. And they don’t even need to be local. Find a supportive group online and challenge each other to stick to your new habit for the next 30 days. It’s hard to give up when others are watching, so it will help you keep going until you establish the new habit.

Give these simple little hacks a try. Keep using the ones that you find helpful until you have made new habits you can stick with without the help of any tools or support.

Let us know if you were able to build new habits in the comments below and join our support group on Facebook.

Blessings and Peace,

Susie