CREATING NEW HABITS AND STAYING CONSISTENT:

Written by Coach Mel

People ask me all the time how to create a habit and how I stay so consistent. I have to tell you I am not perfect and old habits sometimes die hard. Are you ready for a story? Great! Here goes. ……….

When I was 27 I opened up my first business and went from waiting tables and managing restaurants late at night to getting up at 4:30 in the morning. It was brutal! I felt like I was getting up in the middle of the night. I was tired every day and complained to my husband Iggy that I was “so tired.” After many months of him listening to me, he offered a little advice. He said these magic words that changed my life……..”why don’t you go to bed earlier?” Brilliant right? I thought so too, but I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

Credit: Kibbee Walton Artisan Portrait

I was already dragging everyday and loaded myself up with 9 shots of espresso just to get through the day. As soon as I got off work all I could think about was a nap. This was back when we didn’t have any employees, so we were pulling 12 hour days!

So………what happened? I actually counted out what time I would have to go to bed in order to get 8 hours of sleep and it was 8:30 p.m. I know right! Try going to bed at 8:30 in the Summer time is for the birds!What were the pros of this new habit? I was super rested every day and I didn’t need 9 shots of espresso to get me through the day. It was like someone washed the sand out of my eyes and took the Visine away! Wow! Why did I make such a simple habit that was super important to my well-being so difficult?

I think the answer to this is just human nature. We all fight the new with the old. This new habit of getting up at 4:30 a.m. and going to bed at 8:30 p.m. stuck with me for the next 20 years. Most recently, I have adjusted my bedtime by 1 hour and I now try to go to bed by 9:30 p.m. and rise at 5:30 a.m. It’s crazy to think that just the extra hour is going to make a difference, but it feels like I’m sleeping in now.

Moving back to the topic of conversation………..how can I help YOU create new habits and consistency?

I always encourage people to jump on my MelFit Podcast and listen to Episode #23 titled “Everything we should know we learned in the 3rd grade.” Listen anywhere you consume Podcasts. If you are a MelFit subscriber you can swipe left on my App and listen to the MelFit Podcast. This episode has been sent to so many clients struggling with getting into a routine. The moral of the story is why don’t we keep the same habits we did as a child; ie laying our clothes out, packing our lunch, and doing our homework? Let me know if you listen! Feel free to leave a comment!

Here is a fun exercise I gave to my MelFit clients on the MelFit Connect Facebook Group, which by the way you are invited to join. Just e-mail me and ask to be added to the group.

DEFINE YOUR HABIT IN A WAY THAT’S MEASURABLE AND SPECIFIC

CREATE A REMINDER FOR YOUR HABIT

DEFINE YOUR “WHY”: YOUR REASON FOR FORMING THIS NEW HABIT

MAKE THINGS AS AUTOMATIC AS POSSIBLE

REDEFINE YOURSELF AS SOMEONE WHO IS CAPABLE OF FORMING THIS NEW HABIT

MAKE YOUR HABIT SO EASY YOU CAN’T SKIP IT

CONSIDER TRIALING YOUR HABIT BEFORE COMMITTING TO IT

MAKE YOUR HABIT PLEASURABLE

START SMALL

DON’T REWARD YOURSELF CELEBRATE YOUR PROGRESS

ADD ACCOUNTABILITY TO YOUR HABIT IN A WAY THAT WORKS FOR YOU

PLAN FOR FAILURE

MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AS NECESSARY

BEWARE OF LOOPHOLES

TRACK YOUR PROGRESS