Make New Habits Stick, with Episode 1 of Season 2
Last month we talked about goals. This month we want to talk about habits. We all have habits, some good, some bad. But, if we want to, how do we change our habits?
One good place to start is with science.
Over at Habitly we love James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits. Clear's research shows that once a habit is developed, our brains go into autopilot to carry it out.
This I can relate to. I often buy and then eat chocolate in what I can only call a trance-like state. Usually when I'm watching TV. It’s become a habit to sit down at 9pm after a long day and turn on Bravo. But what if I bought carrot sticks instead of candy and switched the TV remote out for a good book? How simple would that be?
If I did decide to change that habit, it would be easier if I followed a few tips from our latest episode new video on habit-forming, Episode 01: The Training Calendar.
Behind Episode 12
Timothy wanted to develop better muscle tone by adding calisthenics to his workout. In a period of three months, he only tried adding calisthenics twice. I’m no math genius, but that’s less than once a month. So by the end of the three months, he realized he had failed at developing a calisthenics habit - and the changed body he wanted. Poor guy.
Alternatively, his friend Kelly practiced yoga each week. Yoga was a relaxing activity, but Kelly wanted to improve her skill level by beefing up her commitment and practicing at least four or five times a week. At the end of the summer her yoga studio held a 30-Day Yoga Challenge where she would have to get on the mat at the studio every day for 30 days in order to win a prize at the end of the month.
Kelly accepted the challenge, along with a couple dozen other people, and just for good measure she placed her yoga mat right at the front door. Every time she saw it, she was reminded of the challenge and her promise to go to the studio. Kelly completed the challenge effortlessly and after that Kelly she was hooked. And guess what? She’s still doing it! The four-to-five day yoga habit has become part of her weekly rhythm.
The Key Takeaway
Let’s pull these stories apart for a moment to go a little deeper. There are a few similarities between Kelly’s yoga practice and the team over at Falcon Fitness (featured in the episode).
Both defined a habit that they wanted to achieve. Kelly wanted to practice yoga four-to-five days each week and the trainers at Falcon Fitness needed everyone to utilize schedules so there was no overlapping. Seems easy enough.
They also both shared a common community. Kelly found other friends to commit to the 30-day yoga challenge and the team at Falcon fitness agreed to hold one another accountable. Being around like minded people is one of the best ways to develop a new habit. It’s why programs like AA are so powerful.
In James Clear’s book, “Atomic Habits” he discusses how he never ate the apples he bought until he took them out of the fridge and placed them on display in the center of his kitchen. For the trainers at Falcon Fitness there was the Arnold Swarzenegger sign right over the water cooler to remind them to sign up on the calendar. Kelly kept her yoga mat right in front of her door as a visual cue. The trainers at Falcon Fitness developed a similar strategy.
But my favorite part of forming a new habit is having a prize at the end. Kelly won a month of free sessions at the studio and Cal won a gold star. So, that means if I give up chocolate while watching tv for a month and swap it for a book, I should buy myself a pedicure right?
I sure think so.