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Why You Suck At Building Habits
Rewire your brain with these 3 images.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve always had a tough time forming habits. I would fail constantly because I could never be consistent.
The good news is you likely have a warped view of consistency.
I tweeted this the other day 👆
I used to be those “people”.
Now I understand consistency and it has allowed me to build 6-8 core habits in the last 12 months.
In the gym 10+ days a month
Daily walks with my dog
A solidified bedtime and routine
A decluttered home
Building a newsletter, podcast and business 3-5 nights a week
A weekly gathering of friends
A communicative relationship
I have the receipts so I know this works.
Ryan Holiday says discipline is “More often than not.” I’ve embraced this idea and it has paid off.
Consistency Comes In Many Forms
It’s easy to think consistency means you have to be perfect. In episode 1 of the DSTLLD podcast, Taylor talks about how it’s daily consistency and not perfection that wins championships.
The idea is to keep showing up and eventually you form the habit.
Don’t Quit After A Bad At Bat
Most people fail to build habits because when they get knocked off the perfect path, they give up entirely. That’s dumb.
If I stopped going to the gym because I couldn’t drag my ass out of bed a couple of mornings in a row… I would have quit the week I started.
Instead I’m in the gym 2-3 mornings a week. And have been for the last 10 months.
It’s the same reason people eat 2 cookies and give up on their nutrition goals.
The 2 Day Rule
Do I take the dog for a walk every day, no. Do I ever miss taking the dog for a walk 2 days in a row? Not unless he’s gonna melt in the rain, snow or heat.
This one doesn’t have to be days. Just don’t miss twice in a row.
Didn’t make it to the gym on Monday morning? Great. Don’t skip Wednesday.
Forgot to vacuum the house this weekend? Awesome. You’ll get it next week.
Shit happens.
The faster you learn to pick up where you left off, the faster you’ll achieve the end goal of creating a default habit. It takes ~70 days to build a habit. Stop beating yourself up after failing a couple times, 3 weeks in.
Thank you for reading this far, I’m humbled! Could I ask you for a small favour? Sharing this newsletter with 1 person is completely free and it’s the best way to support me!
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