Do you have a habit you’ve been wanting to build, such as flossing daily, or journaling? Or a bad habit you wish you could break, like nail-biting? These simple steps for how to build better habits can quickly get you on track for improvement. And if you’re interested in diving deeper, read on for resources where you can learn even more!
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Table of Contents
#1. To build better habits, focus small (no, smaller) and stay consistent
In Atomic Habits, James Clear sets out from the starting point that small changes lead to big results. What’s most important is that the small changes stick.
Want to start running? Give yourself a goal that you’ll run for 1 minute every day for 30 days. By the end of those 30 days, you’ll have the identity of someone who gets out of the house and runs. You’ll be ready to up the distance. Chances are, you’ll have run for far more than 30 minutes over that time, as some of the biggest hurdles to starting running have nothing to do with running, but actually with getting up and out of the house.
Another way to start small is by using a timer. Many writers use something called the pomodoro method (named, somehow, for a tomato). With a timer, they will focus intensely on a specific task for 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute break. These chunks are small, but the results can quickly add up.
Once you pick a new habit, track it, and go streaking, either on a paper tracker or in an app. I use ToDoist for the dopamine hit of checking off the habit each day. But there are also apps built specifically for habit tracking. Seeing a positive streak for a new habit creates a cycle of momentum. James Clear shares a rule that you should “never skip twice.” If you’re trying to build a daily habit and you miss a day, make sure that you get back to it the next day.
#2. Want to improve a bad habit? Break it down into its parts
In The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg shares the three components of every habit: the cue, the response, and the reward. When we think about Habits, we often focus on the response, AKA the action that the habit consists of.
If you step back and think about the cue (what signals to your brain that it’s time to do the undesirable action) and the reward that you get (ease of tension, or something else), then you can begin to think about–and substitute–alternative actions that will meet the cue and reward, while allowing you to move away from the habit you want to change.
#3. Starting something new? Stack it with an existing habit
Want to consistently put on sunscreen each morning for better skin protection? Find a habit that you already do automatically and that you can pair it with.
For example, if you brush your teeth each morning before starting off to work, store the bottle of sunscreen next to your toothbrush. When you put the toothbrush down, it’s an easy trip for your hand to slide over to the sunscreen and take the extra 30 seconds to apply it. Once the sunscreen is part of your regular routine, you can look at a third habit to add to the chain.
#4. Having a hard time with a tricky new habit? Pair it with something you want to do
Pairing involves partnering a new habit you want to build with an activity that you like to do. For example, if you like to endlessly scroll TikTok and want to start exercising more, decide that you’ll only go on TikTok binges while on a spin bike. This approach is a favorite of Gretchen Rubin’s, as she explains in the video below:
Bonus tip for building habits: accountability
When building a new habit, accountability is key for keeping your habit alive even when you may not feel like it. This could be an “accountability partner” like a running partner. Or it could be an individual or group that you tell about your goal and ask to check in with you once a week to hear about your progress. Either way, knowing that someone else is in on your journey can help when your motivation flags.
Want to learn more about how to build better habits? Check out these books:
Atomic Habits, by James Clear
Clear believes that the smallest (or atomic) habits, when stacked together, can bring about massive change. He starts his book with the story of the British cycling team, which grew from a laughingstock into a medal-winning powerhouse through a series of small 1% improvements, everything from having the racers travel with their own pillows to painting the floor of their van white. Clear provides clear, actionable steps, to build systems that can implement small changes in your life that–like funds in an investment account–can compound to form huge improvements over time.
Better Than Before, by Gretchen Rubin
Rubin dives into a wide range of habit approaches, with the idea that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to building or changing habits. Instead, she offers a sampling of different ways to tackle habits, partnered with her Four Tendencies framework(Upholder, Obliger, Questioner, and Rebel).
The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg
Duhigg dives into the theory and scientific research behind habits, with real-world examples ranging from the early days of toothpaste advertising to the Montgomery bus boycott, to explain how habits impact people and systems, and how understanding habits can allow us to change habits in ourselves and in organizations large and small.
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Eri
March 30, 2022I do agree that starting small and keeping track can have a huge impact when building a new habit. Have adopted this strategy to adopt several new habits and worked perfectly. Thank you for this wonderful post!
Cristina Rosano
April 11, 2022I find the idea of stacking a new habit with an old one to be the most effective personally and easy to track! Thank you for sharing!
Lauren
April 20, 2022This is a really helpful blog post. I use habit trackers that help me stay on track of starting new and keep track of existing habits. Thank you for sharing.