Commit to Thirty Days – Three to four weeks is all the time you need to make a habit automatic. If you can make it through the initial conditioning phase, it becomes much easier to sustain. A month is a good block of time to commit to a change since it easily fits in your calendar.
Make it Daily – Consistency is critical if you want to make a habit stick. If you want to start exercising, go to the gym (living room) every day for your first thirty days. Going a couple times a week will make it harder to form the habit. Activities you do once every few days are trickier to lock in as habits.
Start Simple – Don’t try to completely change your life in one day. It is easy to get over-motivated and take on too much. Maybe you start with a 7 Minute Workout! If you wanted to study two hours a day, first make the habit to go for thirty minutes and build on that. You'll find what works best for your comprehension. For example if you focus on push ups, start building up to reps. 1 great form push up and take a break is better than 10 bending, arching, and shallow ones.
Associate With Positive Individuals – Spend more time with people who model the habits you want to mirror. In Quarantine times like these, media can be a friend or foe. Search for examples of people that you mildy connect with and see what you can take from them. You become what you spend time around. Maybe...you watch Sean's daily workout on Twitch, or maybe you follow us on Instagram and see what tips we are posting...or even maybe you find someone else who is helping to inspire you! Build a library of what makes you happy.
Stay Consistent – The more consistent your habit the easier it will be to stick. If you want to start exercising, try going at the same time, to the same place for your thirty days. When cues like time of day, place and circumstances are the same in each case it is easier to stick.
Accountability – Restructure your environment so it won’t tempt you in the first thirty days. Remove junk food from your house, make yourself get out of the bedroom, have a friend Facetime you and do push ups together. Accountability can be just what you need in this stay at home and social distancing time we now live in.
Write it Down – A piece of paper with a resolution on it isn’t that important. Writing that resolution is. Writing makes your ideas more clear and focuses you on your end result. We have a white board on the wall...can't hide from it... A constant reminder creates comfort of exposure in new habit development.
Know the Benefits – Familiarize yourself with the benefits of making a change. There are plenty of resources showing the benefits of regular exercise. Take some side and look at those positive people you started to follow from the step above. What knowledge have you taken away? Use it!
Note: Notice any changes in energy levels after you've been inside during quarantine? Exercise can boost those energy levels and minimize some recent stresses.
Know the Pain – You should also be aware of the consequences. Exposing yourself to realistic information about the downsides of not making a change will give you added motivation.
Do it For Yourself – Don’t worry about all the things you “should” have as habits. Instead tool your habits towards your goals and the things that motivate you. Weak guilt and empty resolutions aren’t enough.