How to Develop Good Habits & Make Them Stick (7 Simple Ways)

To grow as a more productive person, you need to develop good habits. One good habit can be the difference between accomplishing your goal and falling flat on your face.

Developing Good Habits Takes Time

When you’re trying to get your act together, it’s a good idea to start by trying to practice good habits. You want to build things into your daily routine, so you don’t have to expend as much energy on each goal. One good habit can be the difference between accomplishing your goal and falling flat on your face. But it’s one thing to want to start forming new habits. It’s a whole other thing to actually do it. How do you get started with positive habits? How do you make it stick? It’s tough work to be sure, but it can be a little bit easier with the right attitude and the right strategies. Here are seven ways you can start developing good habits today.

#1 – Set SMART goals

SMART goals are:

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Timely

Basically, if you want to get healthier, you can’t just set a goal of “I want to exercise more.” You need to get more detailed! Instead, make your goal something along the lines of “I want to go to the gym for 30 minutes of cardio twice a week for the next month.” Once you create a SMART goal, you can know precisely how to attack your goal and when you have achieved success with it.

#2 – Keep it simple

Don’t try to make a bunch of behavior changes all at once. Keep your new habits to only two or three at a time until you get the hang of them. If you try to build up too many new habits at once, you’ll struggle to find the energy and motivation to do them all, and you’ll start to feel disheartened. Focus on only a few, and you’ll be able to hit them harder and with more juice!

#3- Ask Why

Ask yourself why you want to develop this new habit. Is it because you want to be healthier? If so, that’s great, but it is important to dig deeper and try to uncover your deeper motivations. Try to figure out the exact why. I’ve found that creating a why statement is a great way to help me get to the root of what I truly want. For instance, maybe you want to get healthier because you want to be able to keep up with your kids or pick up a new hobby. The more specific your why is, the more likely it is to motivate you as you try to develop good habits.

#4 – Do your habit early in the morning

If you’re struggling to find time for a new habit, then try focusing on it first thing in the morning. For example, if you want to work on your novel every day, then set aside 30 minutes first thing in the morning to tackle it. Making it part of your morning routine ensures it won’t get pushed to the end of the day when you’re likely going to forget it or move it to the next day.

#5 – Set an alarm on your phone

If you keep forgetting to do your habit, then set an alarm on your phone to remind you every day. That way, it won’t slip your mind so easily! This tip is super simple, but it can be incredibly helpful to have that regular reminder.

#6 – Marry your habit off

Creating a habit marriage is a great way to help you develop good habits. The concept is simple: find a habit that you already have and pair your new hobby with it. For example, if you are wanting to start meditating, try to find a time that you are already sitting down in a quiet environment. If you sit down to read the paper every morning, then make a rule that before you read the paper every morning, you meditate for 10 minutes.

#7 – Use a habit tracker

A habit tracker is essential to quickly adopting new, healthy habits. It keeps you honest every day and allows you to see your progress over time. Seriously, this one was a game-changer for me!

Developing Good Habits Is Tough

New habits might be hard work, but they are well worth the effort. And you can work on building good habits throughout the year! Don’t try to wait until the new year or your birthday. Start the process today! Figure out what you want and work smarter, not harder. You don’t need long to get positive new habits established in your life, so go out there and make it happen. I know it is tough, but you can do it!

How to Develop Good Habits & Make Them Stick (7 Simple Ways)