Sticky Habits - A Handy Habit Hack
They say it takes 60 days to create a new habit.
And that might be why I don’t have many solid habits. It takes a lot of attention and motivation for me to do ANYTHING every single day.
Vitamins………….urgh.
Keeping my Duolingo streak alive….nope.
Even brushing my teeth everyday feels like pulling teeth.
So…..I have to use all the tricks and motivational tools to incorporate new behaviors into an easy part of my routine.
One great hack that is REALLY WORKING FOR ME right now is broadly known as habit stacking. But I prefer “Sticky Habits”.
The idea is that by attaching a new habit to an old habit that you already do regularly, it becomes easier to remember to do the new habit, because it's connected to something that you're already used to doing. Since the new habit isn’t even really a habit yet, I think of it as a new behavior that is free loading off an existing habit until it accidently becomes a habit too!!
It works best for me if I attach the new habit to something I LOVE.
So one of the great loves of my life is my morning coffee.
It is one thing that I don’t even have to try to remember every day. In fact, I often go to sleep looking forward to it.
So I have a bunch of things stuck to my coffee habit right now.
1. I put my vitamins on the coffee maker so I have to either move them, or take them before I turn it on. I won’t lie. Some days I move them. But I’m doing better at taking them then I ever have before. And I get a couple drinks of water prior to my coffee which people say is good for some reason.
2. I also struggle to get going in the morning and like most, struggle to get enough movement in a day. So I’ve started drinking my coffee while walking outside. This isn’t “exercise” per say (sometimes I’m still in my pajamas and a sweatshirt) but I get fresh air, sunshine, and some movement while I sip my coffee. And I CAN’T BELIEVE what a difference this is making to my energy and mental health in the first half of my day.
And even though I hate brushing my teeth, I almost always do it. So inside the cabinet door where my toothbrush and toothpaste live — I post my affirmations. And even if I don’t say them aloud EVERYDAY – I see them twice everyday. This is EXPONENTIALLY more than I can imagine working into my routine with any other approach.
Give it a try.
Find something you do everyday…………..preferably something you look forward to………..and see if you can attach something new that you want more of in your life and let it get a free ride into your routine with minimal effort.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have a struggle or win with this strategy! I love hearing how this plays out in your real life.
Want me to send quick weekly updates to your email so you never miss the good stuff?
© 2023 Childhoods Matter