Building a habit: easing into it
Posted on March 29, 2021 by Denise Tham, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
Making changes - make it easy for ourselves
At a dot on a timeline, I decide to make changes to a damaging habit. Sometimes I make that decision in a hurry. Then I hit blockers along the way and hinder the change.
Let’s get on to the sanity check on making the change.
Clarity: a clear step to describe Exactly what to do
This include who/what can support me. It includes the Plan B if I slide of the wagon.
Datebook: schedule the step at a specific day / time
An example could be, everyday at 7am, right after I wake up, I change into my workout clothes. Start this step as small as possible. Pushing to be perfect only makes the starting point harder.
Commitment: “I want to do this”
As simple as that, say it to myself. Carve it in my mind. “I want to help myself.” “I care for my well-being.” “I dedicate this habit to become healthy”
Dateline: a clear checkbox in the future to accomplish the goal
I want to do this for x days. Commit to start as small as for 5 days.
Why micro-manage this process with a sanity check? Doesn’t this checklist shave off my motivation?
It was and for the first 5 to 6 times, it did.
Every change is uncomfortable in the beginning. Starting small is the way to go.
Once I get comfortable with the discomfort, then making changes gets easier.
I am grateful to learn this from Coaching Questions by Tony Stoltzfus.
