How to build new habits that don’t suck
If your habits suck harder than when it rains all week on your all-inclusive holiday in Tenerife... you need to stop making these mistakes.
I’ve spilled all the tea on how to up your habit game and finally be able to build health habits that do all the work for you.
Mistake #1: Perfectionism
Perfectionism - the silent saboteur of consistent habits. Especially for women navigating through the maze of societal expectations. When you’ve always been told you’re not good enough – perfectionism is your only defence...
But that’s not going to help you in your health and fitness. So let's flip the script from the pursuit of perfection to consistency. Here’s how you do that:
The Next Best Thing Mindset.
When you can’t be perfect – what's the Next Best Thing you can do?
Let me give you an example.
So, your meticulously planned gym date got spontaneously derailed courtesy of unexpected work meeting?
Been there, done that.
Instead of plunging into the abyss of the all-or-nothing mindset, ask yourself,
"What's the Next Best Thing I can do?"
Life's unpredictable, and that's okay. Whether it's rescheduling for tomorrow or doing a quick workout at home, the key is to keep the consistency rolling.
Progress and closeness to perfection over time beat sporadic bursts of brilliance any day.
Mistake #2: Creating Habit Holes
Ever removed a habit and felt like you left a big black hole in your routine?
Just a gap filled with nothing...
Well, what you did was create a habit hole.
Habit holes are deadly. When your willpower is running low, or your energy is zapped – all you're going to want to do is fill that habit hole right back up with the thing you’re avoiding in the first place.
So it's time to get creative and fill that habit hole back up.
Let’s take Dry January as an example.
If you're giving Dry January a spin – you're going to be removing alcohol – creating a habit hole.
But don’t make the mistake of stopping there. Plan for those moments when a drink usually plays the starring role. Swap it out for journaling, stretching, or even something creative like painting - that doesn't just fill the void but actually gets you doing something different.
Good intentions alone only get you so far.
Mistake #3: Habiting when you’re tired
Building habits when you're running on fumes? Not the brightest idea.
Instead, let's capitalize on those first 8 hours after waking up, when your brain is doing it's the best state to tackle those habits that require a bit of extra oomph.
Whether it's hitting the gym or acing your daily steps. Because, let's face it, trying to conquer the world when you're exhausted from work is just setting yourself up for a disaster.
Pack your hardest habits into the start of the day.
Mistake #4: Going all in
The allure of going from zero to all out habits' hero is tempting, but it's a bit like trying to sprint a marathon. Spoiler alert: it won’t end well.
Instead, it's time to slow things down.
Let’s take the gym for example. If the gym feels like a foreign land, going from 0 to 5 session a week is – well, pushing yourself a bit too hard. So start with a friendly introduction—one session this week. Then, work your way up. Remember – it's a marathon, not a sprint.
Conclusion
To wrap it up, building habits takes time, it’s not a Netflix binge-watch that can be done in one sitting.
Bid farewell to perfectionism, replace old habits, do the hardest habits first, and avoid the chaos of doing too much too soon.
And if you're itching to kickstart your habit-building adventure, take the Healthy Habits Quiz for personalized feedback on the easiest way to improve your habits. Happy habit-building, you habit building legend! 🚀