Are you trying to get up earlier? Exercise more? Drink more water?
Trying to create good habits isn’t easy. But if we stick with it, it gets so much easier and in turn, our life can run a lot more smoothly.
Set a Timer
Set it up as a reminder to when it needs done and/or your time limit for completing the task. For example, if you want to create a habit of spending 15 minutes straightening up your home each evening, set a timer to go off in 15 minutes and get to work. It’s amazing how motivating working against the clock can be.
Just Do It
Don’t wait until Monday. The best time to start is now – or at least first thing tomorrow. Each day is a new beginning so why wait?
I think sometimes just getting started is the hardest part about accomplishing goals. But it doesn’t have to hold you back – let go of fear and “just do it!”
Don’t Feel Guilty and Don’t Give Up
You’re probably not going to follow through with a habit every day, especially while you’re still trying to get used to it. And at some point, something is going to throw you off and you’ll have to get back into the routine.
For example, I was doing really well with getting up early and working out for at least 10 – 15 minutes every morning on the elliptical. Then Daylight Savings time happened and I stopped working out for a week because it was all I could do to get out of bed at the last possible minute.
Then, a week later I was feeling rested and ready to get back to it… that night one of our dogs got sick in the middle of the night (she’s fine now – she had an upset tummy from eating something she shouldn’t have) and that resulted in several hours of sleep lost. So the next morning I was NOT on the elliptical!
BUT – I didn’t wait another week to start again. I went to bed early that night and the next morning I was able to get up and get some exercise in. Yes, it was hard, but I felt a lot better afterwards.
The point is, don’t fall into the guilt trap when things don’t go as planned. Pick yourself up and get right back to it.
These simple principles will help create good habits in your life that will last for years to come.
How to you create new habits?
I love this. Sometimes we just overthink things instead of just doing them!
So true! Thanks for stopping by.
I love that you included giving yourself some grace when things don’t go as planned, and taking the time away from the routine when it isn’t practical. With my illness, I’ve had to learn that if I’m really, really tired I need to go on to bed. No, the kitchen may not get cleaned the way I would do it (or at all – do these people have eyes?), but I can always clean it the next day when I’m rested. If I stay up, pushing myself to do a chore, I often end up very sick and unable to do anything at all the next day (sometimes two). It’s more productive for me to rest when I have to.
Absolutely! There’s no reason to push ourselves beyond what we can reasonably handle. That would just add undue stress! Thanks for visiting 🙂
Laura, I just love your blog! I find I share it most days from IBN. Thanks for all your hard work and inspiration. I so appreciate your site and the wisdom here. Sharing this post today, too!
Aww thank you so much Sarah Ann! You have no idea how much that means to me. I’m so very grateful that we’ve been able to connect through IBN – I love your blog too!
I love the set a timer. That one really works for me, and often, once I am kick-started, it isn’t that bad. For me, one of the hardest parts of starting is the thinking about it.
Yes, the timer trick has been working really well for me lately! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
The guilty part is what gets me EVERY TIME! Thanks for posting this! Good read. 🙂
As cheesy as ‘just do it’ seems now (thanks Nike!), it’s such a good motivator. After all, if you don’t start something now, when will you?
I loved your ideas\, especially “Just Do It.” Sometimes I spend way too much time worrying about a change I need to make. I just need to do it!
I loved this post so much that I am sharing the picture and title with a link to the post in my newsletter this week. I hope that’s ok! 🙂 If not, just let me know since it’s not published until tomorrow! Happy weekend!!
So glad you liked it and thanks so much for sharing! Hope you are having a beautiful weekend! 🙂