MAP Strategic Wealth Advisors

8 Expert-Backed Ways To Make Good Habits Stick

Eight takeaways:

Our brains are wired to create habit loops– to make repeated tasks or decisions automatic– because they make our lives easier. But as we mature, the brain begins to take longer to make new habit loops. Here are 8 tactics for making a new habit last:

1. Consider your priorities: Identify what matters most to you. Whether it’s people, activities, or values, your priorities will help you decide which habits are most important.
2. Define your why: Reflect on why your habits are important to you, rather than the labor of the habit itself. Focusing on the habit’s impact on your mental, emotional, or physical health over time.
3. Think identity: Focus less on the habit itself and more on the kind of person who embodies that habit. By aligning your identity with the habit, it becomes easier to follow.
4. Prioritize process over outcome: Enjoy the journey. Find joy in the habits you’re building, rather than solely focusing on efficiency or end results.
5. Let go: Use the habit as an occasion to evaluate your life and let go of behaviors, items, or people that don’t align with the priorities/goals driving your adoption of this new habit.
6. Identify cues and pinch points: Recognize and attack triggers or hindrances in your routines that might derail your habit-building efforts.
7. Create accountability: Establish a system of accountability, either with a friend or through commitment strategies. You can use apps or keep personal notes to recognize benchmarks.
8. Don’t get discouraged: Understand that setbacks are normal, and it’s okay to restart. Be compassionate to yourself- demonizing yourself for skipping a few days of a new habit will only hinder your efforts. Every day is an opportunity to start again!

By Lily Silverton for British Vogue:
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