Why Your Huge List of New Habits isn't Working...
Have you ever created some big New Year’s Resolutions to be more productive, do well in school, get enough sleep, etc, but ended falling short of your goals? Don’t get too down on yourself – this is all too common issue many can face while trying to implement some new habits into their daily routines.
One of the most common reasons this can happen is that when we head into a season of trying to build new habits, we tend to rush into it. Perhaps we’re frustrated with lack of motivation and are looking for a change, or we have put important things off and all of the sudden deadlines are looming. We decide it is time to kick it into gear and instead of making incremental changes, we attempt to dive headfirst into an entirely new daily routine.
Understandably, this headfirst dive often comes as a shock to the system. Perhaps we manage it for the first few days, but typically it can lead to burnout. The habits we were so excited to get started on begin to feel to overwhelming to stick to, so the resolutions we made slowly fade and we are left right where we started.
Slow & Steady Wins the Race
Easing into a new routine as opposed to doing a complete overhaul is not only going to be easier on you – it’s also an incredible way to build habits that will be long lasting. A great book to help you rethink your goals and habits is Atomic Habits by James Clear.
Clear recommends that you break down your goals into more digestible, easy to practice habits – called atomic habits.
Atomic Habits
An atomic habit is a regular practice or routine that is small and simple to accomplish, and when compounded will have remarkable results.
Let’s say you have a paper to write:
Instead of deciding you are going to write your entire paper in one day – which most likely means you waited until the last minute to complete it – you can make it a habit to write two-three sentences each day. It is low commitment, but as you continue this practice daily, you will get the bulk of your paper written before you know it.
Perhaps you’re interested in getting more sleep?
This is a great example of a habit that should be an atomic one – your body is on the schedule you have set it to. You cannot go from going to sleep at 12am to falling asleep at 9pm in the blink of an eye – you will need to build to that point.
Start out by practicing going to sleep 15 minutes earlier than your normal bed time every day for a month. It is a small change that shouldn’t cause you a lot of resistance. After adjusting to this schedule for a month, add another 15 minutes. As you feel yourself falling into a better routine, keep trying to be in bed earlier and earlier in slow increments – whether it’s 5, 10, or 15 minutes earlier.
Consistency is Key
Here at California Pacific Charter Schools we believe that we all have the capacity to achieve great things. It is important to remember to be realistic and kind to our minds and our bodies in the process.
When we set big goals, sometimes it can feel overwhelming to achieve them all at once. Shocking your system can create stress and lead to a long list of unaccomplished goals.
If you learn to make small changes to your habits and routines, you will be surprised at how much you can accomplish. The most important factor to success is consistency. Be consistent in your daily routine and watch the effects it has on all aspects of your life.
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