‘Tis the season to create a new habit

The grass is littered with leafy rejects, Autumn has arrived. It feels pertinent then, as the natural world guides us tentatively into our next chapter, that we address the meaty theme of change and how much we’ve been forced to adjust this year. Lockdown created a pause, encouraged a collective reassessment and has perhaps given us the impetus to use this change as a catalyst for more. 

Change can be challenging because it forces us to confront unknowns. As human beings we're designed to run away from anything that elicits pain or discomfort - a primal instinct that is there for protection. However, if never challenged or stretched, this primal instinct will keep us doing the same things on repeat and maintaining the status quo from within the safety of our comfort zone. If you're familiar with resilience you’ll know that just outside your comfort zone is where personal growth takes place.

Have you noticed that creating routines through lockdown has helped you stay motivated and on track with work, friendships and exercise?  It follows then, that if routines keep us feeling anchored and moving forwards when change is foisted upon us, it should be a key strategy when we’re actively seeking to make a change in our lives. If you want to build a new habit or let go of an old one, here are four tips for creating change that lasts:

1. Get clear on what you want to do and critically, why. Without a crystal clear reason you’ll more easily be pulled off course by shiny things that promise greater pleasure than running in the rain, feeling like your chest might explode. For example, 'I want to learn to speak Spanish because I'm planning a trip to Argentina and speaking the language will mean I can communicate with locals and get more from the adventure.'

2. Write down your goal and stick it somewhere you will see it regularly (fridge, bathroom mirror etc), or tell someone what you’re aiming to achieve. This helps us build clarity around the goal and also the act of writing or verbalising an intention creates the spark of commitment to get started. 

3. Start small, really small. Any change is hard so you want to make it as easy as possible to get going and to create some positive momentum. Break it down into bitesize chunks that build on each other over a specific period that you choose. Why? It the bigger goal more achievable (Rome wasn’t build in a day and all that), plus it creates a sense of progression over time, which is critical in maintaining the motivation to continue. Want to start a regular meditation practice with the aim of reducing stress? Start with meditating for 2 minutes and build from there. The same applies to something that you want to stop - start reducing the amount by small increments and go from there. I should also say that 5 minutes of stretching in the morning might be all you’re looking to commit to initially and you don’t want to build up to anything bigger. That’s ok too, you make the rules.

4. Make the space. We’re all familiar with those feelings of not wanting to do something and finding literally anything else possible to avoid that hairy horrible thing. I’ve found myself scrubbing the back of the kitchen sink to avoid a difficult phone call. The trick to lessening the internal debate and potential for distraction is to bake the new activity into your schedule. Work out where it will fit and what you might have to lose to make time for it. Being intentional is key and over time it will start to feel less intentional because the ‘new’ habit, when done enough, will form a regular behaviour.

That’s it. All that’s left to say is good luck and I’d love to hear how you get on.