How do you make any habit?

How do you make any habit?

Every person wants to make a difference for the better of their lives. In the beginning we usually feel a strong motivation that helps us to last some time. But it often fades away and if we are going through a lot of stress, it is likely that we will return to the old habit. But what should be done to prevent this from happening?

How do you make any habit?

Each habit has 4 components: impulse, desire, reaction and reward. For example, the need to get up in the morning is an impulse, feeling awake is a desire, drinking a cup of coffee is a reaction, and the reward is a satisfaction that provides caffeine. Therefore, drinking coffee is associated with getting up.

1. The impetus shall be clear  

Every habit is automatically activated by impulse. The impulse is an external, often accidental event, a circumstance that gives a stimulating impulse to the onset of other events. If the impulse is not obvious, the habit will not trigger. The impulse can be anything in our environment that our brain associates with habit. For example, someone has been listening to an audio book in a car for several years. So whenever he sits in his car, he has the desire to listen to an audio book. After some time, this person moved closer to work, so he no longer has to drive. After a month, he discovers that he hasn't listened to an audio book once a month, even though he had enough time. Based on this, we can see that the impulses are very strong. Removing the impulse also removes the habit. There is no need to abandon old habits immediately. Old reliable habits can be used as a trigger for old habits. Laying a new habit on an old, pre-existing habit helps to acquire a new habit. This is like riding a bike down a hill quickly, and the speed you make helps you climb up the hill more easily. How do you create new habits through old habits? For example:

after drinking a cup of coffee, try to meditate for a minute,

if you take off the clothes you wore at work, wear sportswear, it will motivate you to go sports right away,

when you sit down and start dinner, thank at least one thing that happened today.

Why does it work well? This is because old habits are already set in the brain. When you connect a new habit to an old one, you have a much better chance of adopting it.

2. The new habit must be attractive

In this phase of habit building, you need to combine the experience you desire with the new habit you are building. For example:

watch your favorite show only while ironing,

Listen to your favorite podcasts only as you exercise

listen to songs only after you learn something for school.

3. Make changes easily

The biggest mistake is when people decide to make many changes at once. Instead, James Clear recommends using a 2-minute rule that reads: "When trying to create a new habit, it should take less than 2 minutes."

if you want to learn to read before bed, start reading one page in bed before bed,

if you want to run 3 kilometers, try to tie your shoe laces first,

if you want to learn an hour a day, open a book or workbook for the first two minutes.

The beginnings of habits should be as simple as possible. The first two minutes should be really simple. You must learn to repeat the habit. The habit must first be created before it can be improved. If you do not learn to develop the habit, you have very little chance of mastering more complex details. If you can do something for two minutes, it makes sense to do something longer.

4. You should feel satisfied from the new habit

Our brain is set to favor immediate satisfaction, and that is the main reason why bad habits prevail over good ones. To get good habits, you need to create an instant reward system. For example, create a addictive tracker. You can use a calendar to record every day what you have done for a new habit. At the end of the month, you will be well motivated to see, for example, thirty times unchecked execution of a new habit. The calendar becomes a visual proof of what kind of person you want to become in a few months.

Based on these 4 laws, you can gradually get rid of your bad habits. But you have to realize that they are unattractive, difficult and unsatisfactory for you.

How long does it take to create a new habit?

Some experts consider 21 days to be a time to develop a new habit. The next 21 days, however, consider the time for you to wake up a little early each morning and go jogging. You still need a little more time to fix this habit in you. We are individual and therefore we need individual time for a new habit. According to several studies, you should spend at least a month fixing the new habit. If you overcome this limit, you begin to perceive the morning run as a natural part of life. At best, you'll even miss a new habit. In one experiment, scientists presented the results of a really interesting research. In a total of 96 people, they watched a certain habit within 12 weeks. They found that, on average, the new habit was firmly rooted in 76 days. It's been over two months. Some may find it long, but it is important to do everything to keep up.