How to Make A New Habit Stick – The Science of Habits

There are a lot of things that we want to do. Exercise. Save money. Meditate. Have better relationships. The list goes on and on. We know we should do these things. We know they are good for us. But we don' act t. And then, one day, we wake up and think, "I should have gone to the gym! I wanted to go to the gym!" 

Why didn't we? Because we didn't make going to the gym a habit. We didn't make it a part of our life. For some people, this is easy. For others, it's not. 

In this article, I'll explain how we can make better habits stick.

Tip 1. Start small

“Small” is key. Don't try to change everything at once. Instead, start small. Make something tiny part of your routine. For example, if you want to get in shape, don't go to the gym immediately. Instead, walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator.

Tip 2: Focus on one habit at a time

Many people believe that you need to focus on building multiple habits at once. But that doesn't work. In fact, it is better to focus on ONE habit at a time. And when you do, you will accomplish more than if you were trying to focus on multiple habits at once.

Tip 3: Decide exactly what you want to achieve

We have to know what we want to achieve in order to make an action plan. So, if you want to improve your fitness level, then write it down. If you want to learn a language, then write that down too. 

It is important that you are specific about what you want to achieve. For example, if you write down that you want to be 'healthier', this is a very general goal and is not specific. Instead, write down that you want to lose 20 lbs of fat; then, this goal is very specific.

Tip 4: Think about your goal in terms of a positive, not a negative

If your goal is to quit smoking, then you might think to yourself, "I don't want to smoke". This type of negative thought can sabotage your efforts. Instead, think about quitting smoking in terms of a positive. 

For example, you might think to yourself, "I want to breathe clean air". The reason why it is better to think about your goal in a positive way is that it puts you in a positive frame of mind. You will then be more likely to take action and make changes in your life. 

Tip 5: Think about the benefits of achieving your goal

What benefits will you achieve if you achieve your goal? For example, you might lose 20 lbs of fat. This will improve your health and make you look better. So, whenever you start to think negatively about your goal, then think about the benefits. This will help keep you motivated and on track.   

Tip 6: Make a plan

This is really important, and it will help you to achieve your goal. A plan makes you accountable and gives you something to work towards. Write down a timetable for making changes and stick to it. Set mini-goals along the way and reward yourself when you achieve them. 

Remember, small changes can lead to big results.   

Tip 7: Break your goal down into smaller goals

This is important because it will make it easier to take action. If you are trying to quit smoking, then you might break it down into smaller goals. For example, you might break it down into quitting for 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months, etc.

Helpful Habit Tracking Apps

You may be familiar with the old school paper to-do lists. But nowadays, there are a lot of online habit tracking tools available to use. Below you can read detailed reviews on the best habit tracking apps.

Loop Habit Tracker

This is the most simple, most straightforward habit tracker app available on Google Play. It is designed to help you build healthier habits and break unhealthy ones.

Features:

• Add your own habits.

• Choose the habit type you want to track.

• Choose the days of the week you want to track your habits.

• Set a goal for each day.

• Get your habit data in beautiful charts.

• Set a reminder for habits.

• Add notes for each day.

• Passcode protection.

The developers have put a lot of effort into the design of Loop Habit Tracker; you can experience the great design with its simple, easy to use interface.

Habitica

Habitica is a productivity app designed to help you become more productive while having fun at work. The app was designed by gamer Alex Vainchtein who wanted to turn his time spent gaming into productive time.

In Habitica, you can create tasks and reward points and get them done. You can also earn coins from completing tasks and purchase items from the store.

Grow – Habit tracking

Grow is a habit tracking app that helps you to track your habits, stick to your goals, and build better habits. It’s super simple & easy to use. Just open the app and fill in a short entry, and Grow will track your progress each day.

Habitify

This app is to help you stick to your habits. It’s a simple, straightforward and easy to use app. This app helps you to stick to your habits by providing motivation and accountability. It also tries to make your life easier by giving you stats on your performance.

Coach.me

Coach.me helps users achieve their goals through goal setting and tracking and by providing accountability and motivation. It’s a daily journal that helps you stay accountable and enables you to track your progress on your own. You can set goals for anything, not just for your health.

It’s like having a personal trainer in your pocket.

Conclusion

If you want to make a new habit stick, then you must make it enjoyable and easy to stick to. That means no pain, no guilt, and no punishment. 

There is no magic formula. There is no secret. If you want to make a new habit stick, you simply have to commit to doing it and then do it. When you feel like quitting, remind yourself why you are doing it and how it will improve your life in the long run.