Three Powerful Techniques(tekˈnēk) to Get Better at Habits

Three Powerful Techniques(tekˈnēk) to Get Better at Habits

By Leo Babauta

For many who started the year with great aspirations(ˌaspəˈrāSHən) and goals of creating new habits … it’s coming to the time of year when lots of people start to falter on their new habits.

That’s completely(kəmˈplētlē) normal, but we can do better.

We can figure(ˈfigyər) out how to overcome the difficulties that often plague(plāg) our habit-changing attempts:

We delay(diˈlā) starting on the habit.

Our minds start to rebel(rabəl) from the tediousness(ˈtēdēəs) of sticking(stik) to a plan(plan).

We rationalize(ˈraSHnəˌlīz,ˈraSHənlˌīz) not doing the habit.

With those very common obstacles(ˈäbstəkəl) in mind, I’m going to share(SHe(ə)r) three powerful techniques for overcoming them. They take effort to implement, but you got this!

Here are the techniques:

Focus on just starting. Set a trigger(ˈtrigər) when you’re going to do the habit each day — let’s say you’re going to meditate(ˈmedəˌtāt) when you wake up, or work out when you get home, or read during your lunch break(brāk). When the time comes to do the habit (the trigger happens), just launch into doing the habit, without delay. Focus on getting good at this skill of starting. …

Be completely with the habit. When you do start the habit, it’s very common to focus on getting through the habit, trying to complete the task. This is a mindset that most of us have all day long — we are just rushing through our tasks, trying to finish(ˈfiniSH) each one. But actually this is not helpful for habits. We want to be completely present with the habit, really feel the texture(ˈteksCHər) of the experience, and imagine(iˈmajən) there is no end, that this moment is all there is and ever will be. It can transform the habit, turning it into a mindfulness practice, and we can even find gratitude(ˈgratəˌt(y)o͞od) for being able to do it. We don’t have to do it, we get to do it. …

Pause(pôz) when you start to rationalize(ˈraSHnəˌlīz,ˈraSHənlˌīz). The problem with rationalizing not doing the habit is that we don’t often notice we’re doing it. We just start moving away from doing the habit. We just think, “It’s OK, I’ll do it later,” or “Screw(skro͞o) it, I don’t really need to do this,” or “Just this one time won’t hurt.” These are not helpful thoughts(THôt). Instead, we should learn to pause. Sit still, take a breath(breTH), and remind yourself of why you’re committed(kəˈmitid) to this habit….

I offer these three techniques to you, and I hope you’ll give them a full-hearted effort.

https://zenhabits.net/three/