3 Steps to Create New Habits

We’re 21 days into 2022. Let’s talk about forming new habits.

We all have times in our lives where we intentionally want to change our behavior for the better and create new habits for ourselves.

This could be getting into the habit of eating healthier and drinking more water.

Or it could be spending more quality time with loved ones and growing our business.

Or it could be work related, or spiritual, or…

There are so many areas in our lives that could be improved and made easier when we create new habits.

Getting into the habit of doing something is often easier said than done.

We seem to acquire not-so-good habits without any effort, but getting into a “good” habit can be a little more challenging.

Let’s break down new habits into a three-step process that makes it easy to follow until we’ve internalized the new behavior and made it a true habit – something we do automatically without having to think about, like brushing our teeth.

Decide on What You Want

The first step is to decide on what you want that new habit to be. Be as specific as possible. It can be an uphill battle to tell yourself you want to exercise more. Instead say something like, “I will go for a 30-minute walk every single day.”  Deciding on what your new habit will be, then, committing to when and how you’re going to do it, is half the struggle on your road to success.

Remind Yourself to Get It Done

The next few days should be smooth sailing if you’re motivated and excited to get this done. And, it might be easier to stick to your new habit. But there are times where the possibility of an old habit shows up.

Maybe it’s raining and you don’t really want to go out and walk. Or maybe your day just gets away from you. This is when it’s important to have a daily reminder. Set an alert on your phone or add the new habit to your daily to-do list for a while (or seek an accountability partner to support you).

Make It Part of Your Routine Until It Becomes a Habit

Which brings us to the last step. It takes some time before a new behavior becomes a true habit. Until then, a routine will work on your behalf. Even before the new behavior becomes automatic, a routine will help you get it done without having to spend a lot of willpower or relying on daily reminders.

Make that daily walk part of your after-dinner routine or change your old habit from grabbing a snack at 10:00 in the morning to choosing a new healthy snack.

Decide to create the new habit, practice the routine until it’s second nature, and you’ll be well on your way to forming a new good habit.

What's your new "good" habit?

I'd love to hear about it.

Are you ready to create new habits that stick? If yes, then, let's connect.

Dena Patrice Burroughs is the Founder of Business Development on Demand, LLC. She works privately with business owners, leaders and independent experts to plan, process, think and thrive. Learn more at DenaPatrice.com.