It’s estimated that you have anywhere between 60,000 and 70,000 thoughts run through your head every single day.
Sounds exhausting, doesn’t it.
Some of that is active thinking and some of that is subconscious thought, but it sounds like a lot to battle in your daily life.
Maybe that’s why changing a behavior or adding a habit to your daily routine is so challenging.
You are proactively trying to add ONE to 70,000.
And you’ve got a lot going on each and every single day. How do you keep this one new habit at the forefront?
Today, I want to help press pause on the mental autopilot and give you a 4-step process for putting positive habits in your day-to-day life.
We are going to do a habit audit, followed with an execution plan which will take you from getting nothing done to being a superhero of your own life.
Step 1: The Habit Audit
Look, the clock will rarely ever be in your favor and from what I understand in life; it doesn’t get any easier.
There are things you want to do every single day that you just aren’t. Can we all admit that?
You are developing or reinforcing habits everyday. In my opinion, not doing something is developing a habit of…not doing something.
Haven’t woken up early in 10 years? Well, you have developed the sleeping in habit. Do you want to wake up early to get more done?
It’s going to take work.
The first step in this process is to go about your normal day, but perform an audit on yourself.
Every 30 minutes write down what you have just completed.
Yes, the WHOLE DAY.
[ACTION STEP] Every 30 minutes stop and write down what you have done. It can be a quick note in your phone or in a notebook.
It’s a laborious process but it will help you press pause on your daily and mental auto pilot and make you realize what you are doing that you like, and don’t like.
Step 2: The Habit Transplant
Done with the habit audit?
Now it’s time to identify and replace.
Go through your whole habit audit and pick out 1-3 things you don’t like.
QUICK disclaimer:
- Pick 1 thing to replace ifyou know developing a new habit is not your friend
- Pick 2 things to replace ifyou’ve got some solid willpower
- Pick 3 things to replace ifwillpower and discipline are things you consider fun 🙂
Now pick your 1-3 things you don’t like (examples):
- Woke up late
- Ate an unhealthy breakfast
- Listened to a radio station on your way to work (that you don’t even like)…
And replace them:
- I want to wake up early.
- I want to eat a healthy breakfast.
- I want to listen to audiobooks on my commute to work.
Pretty simple stuff, right?
No, it’s not.
Habits are hard.
Step 3: Write down your “Whyâ€
The chances of you sticking to ANYTHING new without a big WHY (intrinsic motivation), are ZERO.
Every time.
Unfortunately I can’t help you too much here. Only YOU know why you want to create new habits in your life.
I will say this…make sure it is BIG!
I know when things can be authentically tied back to family and friends (intrinsic) you will have a higher chance of success.
You will also have a higher chance of success if you have your new habits right in front of your face every single day.
Insert: The Habit Nuke
Step 4: Use the Habit Nuke (50-Day Challenge)
Now, I want you to institute these habits over the next 50 days…every single day.
It will be hard, but it will be worth it!
Why 50 days?
Well, it turns out the whole 21 days to build a habit is a myth and it actually takes closer to 66 days to build a habit.
But I think if you read End of Three Fitness, you are ahead of the curve and can develop a new habit in 50 days 🙂
I have made a nifty, worksheet which you can download, print off and use which helps you in this process.
Now, over to you!
Are you going to keep on with habit you don’t like?
Or develop some new habits and become a superhero of your own life?
Get started!
Thanks,
Jerred
photo credit: Binder via photopin (license), Live surgery webcast from Christiana Care Center via photopin (license)