ONE
Connect your new habit with something you are already doing. Attaching your new habit to an already existing behavior can boost the likelihood of sticking to it by 200-300%. For example, you shower or bath every day. Do 10 sit ups, 10 squats and 10 push ups before.
TWO
Doing the new habit before the current habit. So as the above example, add a few simple exercises to your normal routine.
THREE
Keep things as simple as possible. Avoid complex, unnecessary and self made obstructions when designing a new habit. Leaving your gym gear right next to your bed to encourage you to hit the gym first thing in the morning.
FOUR
Commit for the short term. The biggest gains automatically come during the first few weeks and then slowly taper so just focus on the first few weeks.
FIVE
Lapses are okay, but get back on track ASAP. Long term habit formation isn’t derailed by the occasional miss. Being perfect isn’t the goal but getting back in the saddle right away is.
SIX
Seriously don’t beat yourself up over one missed session! Beating yourself up over a screw-up tends to encourage more screw-ups. Forgive yourself for the occasional miss.
SEVEN
Fantasize about the grind. Dreaming about the glorious new habits, and the results they provide is great, but visualizing the process it takes to get there is proven to get serious results.
EIGHT
Design an environment that fosters success. Among the list of things that dictates our behavior, our environment tops it. Are you doing everything to make your habit easier?
NINE
Keep a workout and diet journal to stay accountable. The consistency, accountability and honesty that comes with tracking your performance is hard to overstate. What gets measured gets managed.
TEN
Choose your homies with care. We love to think that our friends and family and peers carry no influence on our behaviors, but they do! Seek out the positive influences in your life.
ELEVEN
Eliminate Friction. Friction being the things in your life that make it harder for you to instill the workout routine you really want.
TWELVE
Build your own habits, your way! What works for others won’t always work for you. Don’t be intimidated to try different things and see what sticks. Test and retest until you have made working out a complete and utter habit!
