How To Implement A Habit
I am so happy that I’ve finally found a way to install a daily habit (exercising) that sticks! Before finding this, I had tried many times installing a regular habit. Invariably, I always failed. Something that I vowed to do daily would always get abandoned within 3-4 weeks.
One day, just by pure chance, I came across Steve Pavlina‘s website. There I found my answer in one of his super money gold posts. Quoting from that post, the reason why habits don’t stick is: “… we often psyche ourselves out of getting started by mentally thinking about the change as something permanent — before we’ve even begun. It seems too overwhelming to think about making a big change and sticking with it every day for the rest of your life when you’re still habituated to doing the opposite.”
Permanent change is hard. Heck, even now I think the prospect of exercising everyday till I die doesn’t sound so good either.
But… what if we can quit? Again, quoted from his post: “But what if you thought about making the change only temporarily — say for 30 days — and then you’re free to go back to your old habits? That doesn’t seem so hard anymore. Exercise daily for just 30 days, then quit. Maintain a neatly organized desk for 30 days, then slack off. Read for an hour a day for 30 days, then go back to watching TV.”
That doesn’t seem so hard anymore!
The Result
And you know what? That seemingly trivial, even a bit silly, mental trick WORKS. For the first time in my life, I could actually exercise every day for 30 days, with minimum numbers of off day. Right away after that, I decided to start a 60-Day Trial. Same result, pretty much the habit sticks now. I just finished my 60th day, and after a break of 4 days, I’m on a 90-Day Trial now.
Didn’t know it’d be this easy! Steve Pavlina is a genius. Please, do yourself a favor and read his post: “30 Days to Success“. It can potentially change your life!
September 7th, 2008 at 2:32 am
Ok, I’m going to try that. I want to lose a few pounds. I keep trying over and over but keep saying “forget it” (probably not wanting it enough, but that was your other post). So I’ll try committing to eating right for just one month (rather than the rest of my life!) and see if that changes how it goes.
Wouldn’t that be great if it worked!?
September 7th, 2008 at 7:43 am
Indeed
Good luck, I hope it works for you! Steve Pavlina has written other great posts as well, I like reading his work.