Creating new habits isn’t easy. Here are six simple hacks that will make it a little easier. Use them until you have internalized the new habit and don’t need them anymore.
Schedule It And Put It On The To-Do List
Sometimes we forget to do that new thing we were trying. Maybe we forget that we are supposed to be having eggs for breakfast instead of a stack of waffles, or that we need to get weekly meal prep done.
Schedule your new habits or make them part of your daily to-do list until they become something you do automatically.
Make It Public and Be Accountable
Let co-workers and friends know what new habits you are trying to establish. They will call you out if you don’t stick to your plan and get you back on track.
You may even go as far as sharing it publicly on Facebook or post a picture of your weekly meal prep on Instagram about your new journey. Knowing that others read it and know about it might be just enough to keep you going when you feel like throwing in the towel.
Piggyback on A Habit You Already Have
Whenever possible, add the new habit to the one you already have. For example, if you fix a cup of tea or coffee at 4 pm, and you want to get in the habit of taking a daily walk, make the new ritual walking to get your cup of coffee or tea.
It’s much easier to add to an existing habit or ritual than creating an entirely new one.
Pay the Price for Forgetting
Here is a fun idea. Put a jar on the kitchen counter, label it and each time you slip back into your bad habit or forget to stick to the new one, you have to put five dollars in the jar. It will quickly help you remember to skip that sugary food and motivate you to go out for that walk. For extra motivation donate the money to charity at the end of the month or hand it over to your spouse to go spend on him or herself.
Find a Co-worker and Help Each Other Along
Find someone with the same or similar goal. This could be a workout partner or a shopping/meal prep buddy. Keep tabs on each other and encourage each other to keep going. It’s much harder to skip if you know someone else is depending on you being there.
Make It a Group Challenge
If one accountability partner is good, a whole group is even better. Find a few other supportive teachers and challenge each other to stick to with your new habit for the next 30 days or so. Not wanting to be the first one to give up will keep all of you going until you establish that new habit.
Give these simple little hacks a try. Keep using the ones that you find helpful until you have made new habits you can stick with without the help of any tools or support and you will have a successful school year.
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