This month I am working on a new habit of creating more time in the morning to do more of what I want…like blogging. Prior to this week I planned to wake up 2 hours prior to my first meeting (or no later than 7 AM). This month I have made a change so I can blog again in the morning, so I am waking up 3 hours prior to my first meeting (or no later than 6 AM).
This is day 3 and it was certainly easier than the last two. New habits take some time to establish, but with a little consistency I will establish a new habit.
Today’s Habit Tip is…
Harness the Power of Consistency. At the heart of habit creation is consistent action. Performing your new habit at the same time, place, and circumstance everyday will move this new action from a place of conscious deliberate action to subconscious routine.
Are you working on a new habit this month? If you are, how can you increase the consistency of performing this habit?
As I consider this question for myself I think I will more thoroughly plan my tomorrow before I leave the office today. As I consider the events of tomorrow and when and which office I need to be in tomorrow, I could set my alarm for tomorrow. That will also help me to move efficiently through my evening.
A little forward thinking should help me improve my consistency. I am approaching my habit with a circumstance mindset which means I need to be more mindful in it’s creation. I need to consider what is planned ahead to allow myself a set amount of morning hours. At times this will allow me to sleep longer and not run into a sleep deficit, as long as I am in bed around 10.
Some habits can be achieved with a same place approach. For example, if you regularly lose your keys and would like to change that result perhaps you create a consistent landing place for your wallet and keys everyday. No more hunting for your keys because they are always on your desk or where ever your landing place is. And when you place your keys with your wallet you have a bigger target to catch your eyes so less chance of overlooking them.
Making your habit more time related, specific amount of time or at a specific time each day, is another approach. Perhaps your habit is to get 7 hours of sleep each night. You may set a bedtime and a daily alarm that allows that specific amount of time for sleep each day.
Take a look at the habit you are creating for yourself and how you can make it more consistent. Leverage the consistent time, place or circumstance approach to your habit creation today.
If you have a habit you are creating or want to create tell me about it in the comments section of this blog. What is your habit and how will you increase your consistency of performing that new activity until it becomes a habit? If you have any questions please just ask.