How to handle routines?

[Mrs-Polifax]

I've been facing this problem lately.

A few weeks ago, I used my homemade 2-row, 7-column table to track a habit I wanted to develop in the next 7 days, ticking off when I finished and × when I didn't. But I found that this effect was really good at the beginning, but it was actually difficult to maintain it in the long run, especially when I wanted these habits to be able to do every day.

I now tend to stick with the form I just mentioned, but at the same time, I'm ready to try to turn the habits I want to do every day into things that I can do on autopilot, and I'm trying to minimize the resistance to doing those habits.

For example, I want to practice my instrument every day, and I plan to take it out and put it in a conspicuous place so that I can get it at hand.

This is also a "fool-proof mechanism", for example, if you want to take vitamins, then you can put it on the doorknob, so that you will inevitably take vitamins before you go out, etc.

The book "Tiny Habits" is great to help establish habits like this. It is by Behavioral Scientist B. J. Fogg who has been running the Stanford Behavioral Science Lab for over 20 years.

Amazon.com

Some suggestions I recall from the book:

1. Make it small. Start very, very tiny. If you want to practice your instrument every day, create a much tinier version of your habit, really tiny. For instance your initial habit could be simply to open the case of your instrument.

2. Make your habit very easy to do. The easier it is, the less resistance you will have to doing it. How could you make it easy to open the case of your instrument? What factors can you think of that would eliminate any friction or difficulty about opening the case of your instrument?

3. Decide on an anchor for your new tiny habit. An anchor is any behavior that you are already doing regularly every day. Some examples are putting your feet on the floor when you get up in the morning, or putting out food for your pet when you get home in the evening, or any other specific behavior you already do regularly.

You will do your new habit right after you do your regularly established habit (anchor behavior). The important thing is that it feels like a naturally right place for your new habit to fit into your life. Think of something you are already doing regularly that you would enjoy following with your new habit. Connecting your new habit to an already established habit encourages your new habit to develop. It helps it fit right in.

4. Decide how you want to celebrate right after you do your new habit. This is extremely important to being successful in doing your new habit. The author explains that we learn a new habit by feeling good about it. That is the secret ingredient. This good feeling is called "shine." You create "shine" by celebrating in whatever way feels comfortable for you. It may feel silly at first to celebrate doing a tiny thing, but it works, so have fun with this. I celebrate by raising my arms over my head and clapping my hands, and saying, "Yay! I did it!" You can smile, you can jump for joy, or whatever feels to you like a comfortable, pleasurable way to celebrate and feel "shine."

5. Here is the formula for developing your new tiny habit. Say this to yourself:
After I do my anchor behavior,
Then I will do my new habit.
Finally, I will celebrate.

6. Now replace your specifics into this formula in the blank spaces:
After I _____________________ (state the anchor behavior you will do),
Then I will _______________________ (state the new habit you will do).
Finally, I will celebrate by _________________ (state what you will do to celebrate and feel "shine.")


The book is quite well done, and it will help you go on from here.


Best wishes!

 

[achieve]

The book "Tiny Habits" is great to help establish habits like this. It is by Behavioral Scientist B. J. Fogg who has been running the Stanford Behavioral Science Lab for over 20 years.

Amazon.com

Some suggestions I recall from the book:

1. Make it small. Start very, very tiny. If you want to practice your instrument every day, create a much tinier version of your habit, really tiny. For instance your initial habit could be simply to open the case of your instrument.

2. Make your habit very easy to do. The easier it is, the less resistance you will have to doing it. How could you make it easy to open the case of your instrument? What factors can you think of that would eliminate any friction or difficulty about opening the case of your instrument?

3. Decide on an anchor for your new tiny habit. An anchor is any behavior that you are already doing regularly every day. Some examples are putting your feet on the floor when you get up in the morning, or putting out food for your pet when you get home in the evening, or any other specific behavior you already do regularly.

You will do your new habit right after you do your regularly established habit (anchor behavior). The important thing is that it feels like a naturally right place for your new habit to fit into your life. Think of something you are already doing regularly that you would enjoy following with your new habit. Connecting your new habit to an already established habit encourages your new habit to develop. It helps it fit right in.

4. Decide how you want to celebrate right after you do your new habit. This is extremely important to being successful in doing your new habit. The author explains that we learn a new habit by feeling good about it. That is the secret ingredient. This good feeling is called "shine." You create "shine" by celebrating in whatever way feels comfortable for you. It may feel silly at first to celebrate doing a tiny thing, but it works, so have fun with this. I celebrate by raising my arms over my head and clapping my hands, and saying, "Yay! I did it!" You can smile, you can jump for joy, or whatever feels to you like a comfortable, pleasurable way to celebrate and feel "shine."

5. Here is the formula for developing your new tiny habit. Say this to yourself:
After I do my anchor behavior,
Then I will do my new habit.
Finally, I will celebrate.

6. Now replace your specifics into this formula in the blank spaces:
After I _____________________ (state the anchor behavior you will do),
Then I will _______________________ (state the new habit you will do).
Finally, I will celebrate by _________________ (state what you will do to celebrate and feel "shine.")


The book is quite well done, and it will help you go on from here.


Best wishes!

Haha, it's a very cute and practical approach. Thank you for your warm reply and suggestions. I'll give it a try!