Forming new habits doesn’t need to be daunting. Small actions make big differences.
Posted on 16th September 2022 at 13:29
Old habits die hard? So true. And so frustrating if you want to replace them. Like eating better, exercising more, sleeping well, thinking more positively.
These are habits that either work for us or against us. If we have one we don’t like and can’t shake it, it’s because we are stuck in a neural groove.
Thoughts and actions become ingrained and habitual, but thanks to neuroplasticity in the brain, we can re-direct traffic and travel some new pathways in the mind.
Some top tips for starting something new:-
1. Start small – we underestimate the power of small changes. And they are less daunting to do.
2. Two-minute rule – starting small, whatever your desired habit, allocate just two minutes to it – run, play guitar, lift weights for two minutes (just do the warmup), draw a sketch, go for a walk. You will find that after 2 minutes you want to carry on.
3. Manage your environment – the two-minute rule is easier if you do this - make it so that you can’t miss your running shoes as you come downstairs, don’t pile paper on your piano lid, put beer in the shed and not in the house. Keep biscuits (if you must have them) at the back of your grocery cupboard. Have a list of people you want to keep in touch with on your fridge. Whatever it is – make it easier to start what you want to do, and harder to do something you don’t. We take the path of least resistance.
After a while, new habits become engrained, and you do them unconsciously, just like your old ones were.
And remember, you don’t need to be perfect to get going. Practice makes permanent.
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