Today we’re talking all about how to create new habits and how to make them stick. Let’s Goal!

Pretty much everything in our life is a result of our habits.

• How fulfilled or unfulfilled you are in your job
• How balanced or unbalanced you feel
• How passionate or frustrated you are about your life

..and a million more are all a result of our habits, good and bad. The good news: our habits are a choice. Our choice, to be exact. Which means we can change them in this very instant. 

We can decide right now to be done with complaining about how tough life is each day and start to bring out that gratitude attitude instead, we can decide right now to be done with feeling lethargic and start to move every single day, we can decide right now to be done with constantly being ‘busy’ and start taking 5 minutes per day for what really matters.

All it takes is willingness, perseverance and a bit of structure. Which is why I prepared the #letsgoalchallenge, to help you make your new healthy habits stick. 

Making your habits stick with the #letsgoalchallenge

Make your new habit stick with the #letsgoalchallenge:

✔️STEP 1: Which one healthy habit do you want to stick to over the next 30 days (or more)?

Examples: 

• meditate 5 mins every morning
• do phone free evenings after 6pm
• practice yoga every day for 10min yoga 
• write 3 sentences every morning etc.

 

✔️STEP 2: What will be your sacrifice/ punishment in case you miss one day of your #letsgoalchallenge?

Think of something you really don’t like doing, something that really scares you.

Examples:

• give a compliment to a person you don’t know 
• tell your partner that you will do the washing up after each meal for one week 
• voluntarily transfer money to a friend etc. 

 

✔️STEP 3: Take the habit pledge

I [insert your full name] commit to [insert your new habit] for the next 30 days. If I miss one day, I will [insert your sacrifice].

Here’s my habit pledge: 

I, Ellen Million, commit to taking a cold shower every morning for the next 30 days.

If I miss one day, I will take a plunge in cold Lake Zurich.

 

We know that we increase the likelihood of achieving our goals by 95% if we have an accountability partner for our goal (1). I, therefore, encourage you to share your habit pledge with as many people as possible via social media, tag #letsgoalchallenge and @ellenmillioncoaching so I can see your new habits in action and cheer you on along the way!

 

One trick to make your habits stick

To help you stay consistent with your new daily habit, I find it helps hugely to track your progress. Here’s how I track mine:

• print off a calendar with a view of each day or write the next 30 days into a journal (I prefer the journal option, see photos)
• from the start of the #letsgoalchallenge, cross each day when you did your new habit
• the more days you stick to your new habit, the longer your chain of crosses becomes
• now do not break this chain of crosses!

Plain simple. This productivity hack actually comes from the comedian Jerry Seinfeld and he credits it for becoming one of the world’s most known comedians (2). 

I hope this article helps you in making your new habits stick! If you want extra clarity and accountability to help you form your new habits and stick with them, I’m here to support you with 1-1 coaching. Enjoy the process and let me know which new habits you are creating,

x Ellen 

 

Sources: 

1. The American Society of Training and Development.
2. Jerry Seinfeld’s Productivity Secret: https://lifehacker.com/jerry-seinfelds-productivity-secret-281626