Overview
The new year means many resolutions will be started, and many will be quickly abandoned. The people who succeed in achieving their resolutions (or at least improving on them in a meaningful way) generally incorporate habits. Our lives are largely shaped by the habits we cultivate. From the moment we wake until we shut our eyes to sleep, our daily routines have a tremendous impact on our productivity, health, and even our happiness.
Several proven habit systems have emerged that help us build positive habits and break negative habits. In this article, we’ll explore some of the most effective strategies and systems for instilling lasting change. Note that there’s not one perfect system – often a combination of these is the best for achieving success. I encourage you to try them all out and see which ones work best for you!
The Importance of Habits
Habits are behaviors, mannerisms, and tendencies that we perform regularly, sometimes hundreds or thousands of times a day. We often don’t notice them because, well, they’re habits – we do think without even thinking about them. Good habits provide so many benefits to us in our personal and professional lives.
Achieve goals
Many goals seem daunting at first, but they are achieved over time through persistence. Habits provide momentum and consistency as we work toward goals, both small and significant.
Structure
Habits provide great structure and predictability to our lives. We tend to thrive with a certain amount of structure because it reduces stress and allows our minds to focus and spur creativity.
Compounding factors
Many habits have compounding effects, both on the habitual behaviors themselves (like exercising) and tangential areas (sleep, stress, and focus). Improving just a little tends to build upon itself and give us a tremendous amount of positive energy.
Mental energy
Habits free up mental energy by automatic our decisions, and reducing the fatigue caused by them. We make tens of thousands of decisions every day across a wide spectrum of importance. The more of them we can eliminate or automate, the more energy that is left for the most important ones.
The Habit Systems
#1 - The Seinfeld Approach
What
Use a calendar and check off each day you successfully complete a habit.
Try to keep the streak alive as long as you can.
Example
Read 10 pages of a book every day.
Why
*It focuses you on consistency.
*It keeps you motivated and committed.
*It lets you track your progress.
#2 - The 2-Day Rule
What
Don’t skip more than one day for the daily habits you’re building.
It’s an extension of The Seinfeld Approach.
Example
Skip a workout on a Monday after a long weekend, but don’t skip on Tuesday.
Why
*It allows for breaks and life stuff that inevitably comes up.
*It focuses you on consistency over perfection.
*It’s less daunting than completely restarting.
#3 - The 2-Minute Rule
What
Complete necessary tasks that come up if they take less than two minutes to complete.
It would likely take longer just to make yourself a note or set a reminder.
Example
Make your bed in the morning.
Why
*It motivates you to complete tasks.
*It reduces decision fatigue (just do it!).
*It helps you prioritize your tasks.
#4 - Habit Stacking
What
Attach a new habit to an existing one that is well-established.
It’s most effective when the new and existing habits are related in some way.
Example
Brush your teeth then clean off the bathroom counter.
Why
*It creates a strong trigger for the new habit.
*It reinforces all the stacked habits.
*It makes it quick and easy to learn new habits.
#5 - The 5 P's of Building Habits
What
To help define and build a new habit, follow the 5 P’s:
Purpose – Why is it important?
Plan – How are you going to accomplish it?
Prioritize – When are you going to work on it?
Practice – What steps need to be done?
Patience – Who can help you see the progress you’re making?
Example
Study to earn a professional certification…
Purpose: To build up skills and earn a promotion.
Plan: Follow a recommended proven study program.
Prioritize: Study from 6:30-8:00 am 3 days a week.
Practice – Study every day and take sufficient practice questions once a week.
Patience: Identify a study partner and meet once each week to discuss progress.
Why
*It commits you by prioritizing and partnering with others.
*It puts structure around your habit building.
*It combines elements of several proven habit systems.
#6 - Temptation Building
What
Combine something you want to do (desirable) with something you need to do (less desirable).
Example
Only listen to your favorite podcast or audiobook while exercising.
Why
*It adds motivation and a reward.
*It makes the necessary behavior more enjoyable.
*It potentially helps you accomplish two tasks at once.
#7 - The 1% Rule
What
Improve in some important way by just 1% each day.
Example
Start by reading 10 pages on day 1, 10.1 pages on day 2, etc.
Why
*It is easy to start and build.
*It It helps build consistency and endurance.
*It results in significant compounded improvements over time (37x in a year!)
#8 - The Plan-Ahead Approach
What
Make it easier to perform a habit by preparing for it or doing a piece of it in advance.
Example
Lay out your workout clothes and gear the night before.
Why
*It helps overcome excuses and distractions.
*It speeds up the getting-started process.
*It helps prioritize the behavior.
#9 - Use an Accountability Partner
What
Find an accountability partner or mentor to work with on building a habit/skill.
Example
Learn public speaking, and practice with your partner.
Why
*It provides encouragement and support.
*It It can offer valuable feedback and perspective.
*It encourages self-awareness through discussions.
Summary
Building good habits is one of the keys to success achieved consistently over time. They help us build momentum and keep it up when our willpower becomes low. They help us with progress, not necessarily perfection. The systems discussed above have helped people of all kinds across different professions, ages, and geographies. Try them out to see what works best for you, and don’t forget to share with others!
What is your favorite approach to building good habits? Are there other good habit systems worth adding to the list above? Let us know in the comments below!
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