How to Make Anything a Habit

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”

Aristotle eloquently expounded on the difficulty in cultivating habits, and his words remind us that change does not come overnight. Trying to make something a habit is nearly synonymous to a lifestyle adjustment, which is why the idea of doing so can be intimidating. This is why attempts to consistently choose healthier lifestyle alternatives such as diet options and exercise regimes are often perceived to be bold moves – however, through 3 crucial tips in this article we hope to show that making a habit is easier than often believed. Our first tip is to take small steps. You should have an overarching goal, but remember that Rome was not built in a day (and no, not in a night too!) – set microgoals realistically. For instance, if you hope to eventually cultivate the habit of exercising for at least 20 minutes thrice a week, you may wish to target exercising for 5-10 minutes twice a week during your first week. This may seem like nothing compared to what you are hope to achieve, but a little something is already a step up from nothing. Be kind to yourself, slowly up your pace and you will get there eventually. Our second tip is to eliminate options. Imagine this: if you plan to stop eating ice cream for a month, would it be easier for you to do so with a freezer stocked with several flavours of ice cream, or having not bought any from the supermarket in the first place? Eliminate temptations, and you won’t even need to muster any willpower to stop doing something – simply because you have no way of doing it. Our third tip, which we find the most important, is to accept slip ups. Slip ups are not only normal, they are expected. For instance, if you find yourself unable to resist a midnight snack while attempting to purge yourself of snacks altogether, it’s okay. We are only human, and we make mistakes – don’t beat yourself up for being mortal. While it’s not okay to trip excessively (be aware of the difference!), the occasional falter is perfectly fine. Just remind yourself that you need to get back on track pronto. Our bonus tip is to repeatedly tell yourself that it takes as short as 21 days to make a habit. That’s just 3 weeks. In other words, doing a particular something for 3 weeks straight will very potentially allow it will stick to you for life. You definitely got this!