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Habits become part of who we are as a person. As such, it is essential to build habits that are beneficial to us. Because good and effective habits enable us to improve and achieve more in life.
What are habits
Habits are the repetitive actions that we do each day. These are the actions that our brain has put on the auto mode in order for it to conserve energy. The energy that it needs for us to attend to more difficult tasks.
This habit formation allows us to do more and accomplish more. And as Aristotle pointed out:
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
– Aristotle
So, therefore, it is important that we develop a system of good habit development.
The importance of good habits
First, because good habits allow us to do the important things first. When already ingrained in our system, the brain will not need additional effort to get them done. You no longer need to decide to act upon them, you just do.
Second, good habits allow you to be clear-headed. You can approach difficult tasks with focus and attention if you don’t have to decide on every action you take.
Third, it improves the quality of your life. Your overall health- physical and mental- will benefit from the good habits that you develop.
For example, developing the habit of exercising will not only improve your fitness but also your mood. Exercise will help you relax and handle stress more effectively. Additionally, exercise promotes the release of chemicals that aid in the improvement of your brain’s structure and function.
Fourth, good habits allow you to reach your goals. Achieving goals is a long process. You have to work on it daily to make it a reality. But with good habits in place, making your goals a reality will become a lot simpler.
And fifth, good habits enable you to become the person you want to be.
For example, if you want to become a writer. Developing the habit of writing at least a sentence or two each day will help you become a writer. Because as they say, writers WRITE.
And to quote Aristotle again, who said:
“We are what we repeatedly do.”
– Aristotle
Simple habit formula
Now that we have established what a habit is and the importance of developing good habits. Let us then proceed with the simple formula for effective habit development. And the formula is Start+Small+Consistent= Effective habit.
Start the habit
As in anything, if you want to do something, you have to start. Do not overthink it. All you need to do is take the first step.
“Take the first step in faith. You don’t need to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
There is no such thing as a perfect time or environment in which to begin. Waiting will not benefit you. It will only make you doubt yourself. And second-guessing yourself will only fortify the lack of self-confidence to make the right decisions.
It is therefore beneficial for you to take that first step as it will also boost your self-confidence.
And, while it is true that the first step is the most difficult, It’s also true that taking that first step allows you to believe that it’s possible.
So how do you take the first step?
- Do not let the entire process discourage or intimidate you. You don’t have to look that far. Put your blinders on and focus on that one step.
- You don’t need to know everything. You will learn along the way.
- Any day is a good day to start. You don’t have to wait for Monday, the first day of the month, or the first day of the year.
- Have faith in yourself. Know that you have what it takes to start a good habit that will benefit you in the long run.
- Know that the journey will not be easy. But by taking the first step toward developing a good habit, it will become easier.
Start small
The idea here is for sustainability. Doing things regularly, especially in the beginning can deplete energy. And starting too many good habits at once will not be sustainable for you.
So in order to succeed. You have to start small. This Estonian wisdom says it all:
“He who starts small will finish big.”
– Estonian wisdom
Starting small may not seem much, but it is your foundation. And when you master that small thing, the rest will build up on it. Soon, you will develop a set of good habits that benefit you, your family, and the rest of the community.
Here are additional benefits of starting small in developing good habits:
Small actions are easier to do
when things are easier to do, there is less friction. It takes less effort on your part- physically and mentally- to do the action.
For example, if you want to eat healthy. It will be easier to start and replace a carb-laden meal with one consisting of more protein and vegetables. Rather than going all out and eating salad all day, every day.
Starting small helps to avoid overwhelm
An example that comes to mind is living a healthy lifestyle.
To achieve the said lifestyle, you have to change your diet, start to exercise, develop better sleeping habits, and so on. It will require changing a lot of your current unhealthy habits. Which will undoubtedly lead to overwhelm.
So, to avoid overwhelm, it is better to break down the goal of healthy living into small ones. Start with the smallest action you can think of, such as drinking more water instead of soda. Master this technique until you no longer crave soda.
Then, move on to eating a healthy breakfast, and so forth.
Starting small creates the momentum
Making a significant change disrupts the pattern that has already been established in your brain. When this occurs, an alarm is triggered, which activates resistance. Making the transition difficult.
However, if you start small, the change will be manageable and the alarm will not be triggered.
And once an action is started, it will have a snowball effect. Leading to more good habit development and life improvement.
Consistency
The application of the same behavior at different times is referred to as consistency. Or, to put it another way, staying the same no matter what.
So if you apply consistency in our habit building, you are sure to attain your goal. By being consistent, you cement the good habit in place. It creates the neural pathway in your brain, making the good habit stick.
“Consistency is the foundation of virtue.”
– Francis Bacon
Or, please allow me to say, consistency is the foundation of a habit. When repeated on a regular basis, the action becomes a habit.
As such, it is one of the key factors in our formula for developing an effective habit.
In order to be consistent, here are some things to keep in mind:
Maintain a schedule
Per our definition, consistency is the application of the same action at different times. But it will also come in handy to have a schedule to stick to. It makes being consistent, well- more consistent.
Having a schedule will put structure in your quest for consistency. It will be easier to consistently perform an activity at the same time every day.
Expect challenges
Things will not stay the same. So expect to encounter some challenges in your habit development. Which will affect your consistency.
Even if you try to be consistent, there will be slip-ups that cannot be avoided. It’s better to plan for it than to beat yourself up for missing a day or two on a habit you’d like to start.
Plan on how to get back on stride or if it is possible to rearrange schedule the activity or action.
Allow yourself some time
Consistency does not happen overnight. It takes time and a lot of effort. So stay realistic and persistent in your effort to develop a habit.
Experts have varying opinions on how long it takes for an action to become a habit. Some say it takes about a month or 21 days while others say it takes 66 days. The bottom line is, no matter how long it takes, you have to keep at it.
To summarize
It is important to build effective habits for us to improve and achieve more in life. Additionally, habits are important in that, they allow you to
- prioritize important things,
- have clarity,
- improve the quality of your life,
- Allow you to reach your goals, and
- Become the person you want to be.
And the simple formula you must follow in order to develop an effective habit is as follows:
- Start
- Start small, and
- Be consistent
Following this simple formula. It will allow you to develop an effective habit that will undoubtedly make your life easier. Giving you energy and freedom to achieve more goals.
Please share your thoughts or ideas about this simple formula to an effective habit in the comments below. If you liked this article, you might be interested in these articles about effective habits for a happy life, change, and starting over:
Top 10 Reasons Why Change Is Difficult
How To Start Over Even When You Feel Old
9 Effective Habits For A Happy Life
29 Quotes To Make Change A Little Easier
43 Quotes To Inspire You To Start Over Today
Outside reference:
The (Super) Power of Habits and Routines
5 Benefits of Developing the Right Habits
Why Start Small? The 5 Important Benefits of Starting Small
8 Rules to Be More Consistent in Life