Habit Change
Make lasting changes in 2023 instead of a new year’s resolution.
Creating new habits is hard work! However, it is the key to getting lasting results rather than another quick fix that usually doesn’t fulfill your desires.
How long does it take to create a new habit? The truth is, FOREVER! Once you have developed a habit, it is no longer a habit if you were to stop doing it. That is why it is best to focus on creating the lifestyle you want to have rather than find another quick fix that doesn’t work.
Here are five principles to shift your wants into reality!
Create an “identity-based habit.”
Break down the habit with a “gateway habit.”
Be specific with your new habit with an “implementation intention.”
Try “habit stacking” to program your habit into your day.
Focus on creating the right “environment design” to achieve success.
Rather than setting a goal for 2023, set an identity-based habit. An identity-based habit focuses on who you want to become, not what you want to achieve. For example, I want to run a race is an outcome goal. Instead, I want to become a runner, which is an identity-based goal. To set an identity-based habit, you can ask yourself, “What type of person do I want to be?”. By identifying the type of person you seek, you can achieve the desired outcomes. Next, consider what values and principles this type of person might attain. Answering these questions to yourself will allow you to set an identity-based goal that helps you achieve your desired outcomes. Actual behavior change is identity change.
Secondly, we need to break down our identity-based goals into small, actionable, or gateway goals. A gateway goal is a small habit that will naturally lead to a more significant habit. Science states that when starting a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to implement at first. So, a gateway goal for I want to become a runner could be to put on my running clothes and shoes. Performing this step is reinforcing the minor step of your identity-based goal and mastering consistently showing up for yourself. This small step will set you up to take action.
Next, by setting an implementation intention, you want to ensure your new habit is as specific as possible. An implementation intention is a plan you select beforehand on when and where to implement your habit. To create an implementation intention, follow this process: “I will (behavior/habit) at (time) in (location).” Using our example scenario, I will run at 5:30 AM in the neighborhood. Setting your new habit into your day at the right time dramatically impacts the follow-through of forming the habit.
You could try habit stacking to ensure you have chosen the right time of day to program your new habit. Habit stacking is the process of pairing your new habit with an already-established old habit. For instance, if you get up every morning and shower, you can program your new habit before the old habit. In this process, you are reprograming your new “cue” of waking up to be go for a run rather than take a shower.
Last, you will want to create the right environment to support the new identity-based habit. Creating an environment design makes the cues of your good habit more obvious and favors that habit you are trying to establish. For example, you can set out your running clothes and shoes next to your bed so that you see them first thing when you wake up. Your physical space should be designed to work with your new habit, not conflict with it.
Now, you have the tools to create a specific and actionable identity-based habit. Now, please set this plan into action. First, choose a reward aligned with your new habit and a deadline to receive the reward if you successfully implement the new habit. Such as, after 30 days of putting on my running shoes at 5:30 AM and running at least 3x a week, I will buy a new pair of running shorts. External rewards are one of the best methods to maintain motivation while waiting for long-term outcomes.
Once you have achieved this reward, implement another short-term reward aligning with your identity-based habit. Another form of a reward you could use is tracking your actions/progress. This allows you to visually see you are showing up and living out your new lifestyle and habit. Nothing sustains motivation better than accountability to someone or something else. Join a running group or gym you can go to at the specified time of your new habit to help you stay on track. If you have to wait long-term for a reward, it is often too long of a feedback loop for yourself to maintain motivation. Once the habit is no longer challenging, you can set rewards further out or up the stakes of the reward.
Make 2023 your year of becoming someone you have always wanted to be. Then, follow this process for any new habit you want to create, and watch your identity shift.
“YOU DO NOT RISE TO THE LEEL OF YOUR GOALS. YOU FALL TO THE LEVEL OF YOUR SYSTEMS.”
-JAMES CLEAR
*These terms and strategies stem from behavioral change science and principals from the best-selling book “Habit Change” by James Clear. If you found this article helpful I encourage you to read the full book. 