{"id":25451,"date":"2021-05-11T11:44:59","date_gmt":"2021-05-11T15:44:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/calepin.co\/?p=25451"},"modified":"2021-05-11T11:44:59","modified_gmt":"2021-05-11T15:44:59","slug":"build-new-habits-that-last","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/calepin.co\/?p=25451","title":{"rendered":"3 Easy Ways To Build New Habits That Last"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 fusion-flex-container nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start fusion-flex-content-wrap\" style=\"max-width:1248px;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:100%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:1.92%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:0px;--awb-spacing-left-large:1.92%;--awb-width-medium:100%;--awb-order-medium:0;--awb-spacing-right-medium:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:1.92%;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-order-small:0;--awb-spacing-right-small:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-small:1.92%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><p>If you\u2019ve ever set out to build new habits only to neglect them 4 months later, you\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n<p>Back in 2020, there were habits I let slip more than usual, like running, healthy eating, and working out on a regular basis. (But we were in the middle of a freaking pandemic, so I gave myself a break).<\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019ve fallen off track, it\u2019s tempting to feel like a failure and give up on <a href=\"https:\/\/calepin.co\/writer-development\/how-to-become-a-better-writer\/\" data-schema-attribute=\"\">creating new habits<\/a> completely. But slipping up from time to time is all part of the journey of goal setting and building new habits into your daily routine. The important thing is that you pick yourself back up and try again (cue Rocky theme music).<\/p>\n<p>If this is you, I thought it\u2019d be helpful to show you exactly how to go about (re)building those habits.<\/p>\n<\/div><iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/C1TSpcnNtEs\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-2 fusion-flex-container nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start fusion-flex-content-wrap\" style=\"max-width:1248px;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-1 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:100%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:1.92%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:0px;--awb-spacing-left-large:1.92%;--awb-width-medium:100%;--awb-order-medium:0;--awb-spacing-right-medium:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:1.92%;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-order-small:0;--awb-spacing-right-small:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-small:1.92%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\"><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-1 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-two\" style=\"--awb-margin-top-small:0px;--awb-margin-right-small:0px;--awb-margin-bottom-small:15px;--awb-margin-left-small:0px;\"><h2 class=\"fusion-title-heading title-heading-left fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" style=\"margin:0;--fontSize:36;line-height:1.1;\">Get Specific About Your Goal Setting<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-2\"><p>Simply saying \u201cI want to read more\u201d or \u201cI want to exercise more\u201d isn\u2019t going to help you take action. But getting specific about what \u201cmore\u201d means will help you track your habits and measure success. Set a specific amount of time each day. A fitness goal of mine is to spend at least 30 minutes a day exercising. And I have a workout routine picked out ahead of time. Being specific like that is a mental hack that makes your goals much easier to accept and accomplish.<\/p>\n<p>When creating your goal, it\u2019s important to fit it into what flow researchers call, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegearbunker.com\/flow-state\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-schema-attribute=\"\">The Flow State<\/a>. If you set the bar too high (like writing 4 blog posts per day), you\u2019ll create too much pressure on yourself and avoid the habit completely or burn out. But if it\u2019s too easy (like writing only 1 blog post per day), it won\u2019t be challenging enough to excite you.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, you have to set a specific goal that stretches you just a little bit more than what you think you\u2019re capable of. That\u2019s the sweet spot.<\/p>\n<p>A personal example of that is the traffic goals I have set for a new website. The first month hit 2,100 sessions. My lofty goal for the next month is 4,000 sessions. Will I hit that goal? Probably not, but I will sure as hell work to get as close to it as possible. And I\u2019ll get better results versus putting a smaller goal out there.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-3 fusion-flex-container nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start fusion-flex-content-wrap\" style=\"max-width:1248px;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-2 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:100%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:1.92%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:0px;--awb-spacing-left-large:1.92%;--awb-width-medium:100%;--awb-order-medium:0;--awb-spacing-right-medium:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:1.92%;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-order-small:0;--awb-spacing-right-small:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-small:1.92%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\"><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-2 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-two\" style=\"--awb-margin-top-small:0px;--awb-margin-right-small:0px;--awb-margin-bottom-small:15px;--awb-margin-left-small:0px;\"><h2 class=\"fusion-title-heading title-heading-left fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" style=\"margin:0;--fontSize:36;line-height:1.1;\">Don\u2019t wing it, Have a Plan In Place<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-3\"><p>To successfully build new habits, it\u2019s important to put together a plan and give yourself a roadmap to follow. Ideally, you want to map out the first 30 to 100 days. After the 1st month make any necessary adjustments and keep moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>For example, when I set my goal to read 2 books a month, I planned my first 100 days.<\/p>\n<p>by picking out the first 6 books I wanted to read. By having the next book ready to go, I never lost momentum.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-fusion-600 wp-image-25455\" src=\"https:\/\/calepin.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/shiromani-kant-mo3FOTG62ao-unsplash-600x400.jpg\" alt=\"new habits and reading a book each month\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If you want to meditate daily you can find an app to start with and a plan for when you will meditate. Put it on your <a href=\"https:\/\/calepin.co\/writer-development\/time-management-tips-for-writers\/\" data-schema-attribute=\"\">to-do list<\/a> or add it to your calendar as a reminder to take action consistently. You can start with as little as 5 minutes per day to build that consistency and then increase the time from there. Again, have a plan in place with a specific amount of time you\u2019re going to spend on the task.<\/p>\n<p>While you\u2019re looking at your calendar, keep an eye out for any events, travel, or work projects that may get in your way. Get ahead of the game and plan for the busiest days so you can keep up with the habit.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-4 fusion-flex-container nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start fusion-flex-content-wrap\" style=\"max-width:1248px;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-3 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:100%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:1.92%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:0px;--awb-spacing-left-large:1.92%;--awb-width-medium:100%;--awb-order-medium:0;--awb-spacing-right-medium:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:1.92%;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-order-small:0;--awb-spacing-right-small:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-small:1.92%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\"><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-3 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-two\" style=\"--awb-margin-top-small:0px;--awb-margin-right-small:0px;--awb-margin-bottom-small:15px;--awb-margin-left-small:0px;\"><h2 class=\"fusion-title-heading title-heading-left fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" style=\"margin:0;--fontSize:36;line-height:1.1;\">Create Accountability Through Friends and Social Media<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-4\"><p>I\u2019m not going to sugarcoat it. At some point, you\u2019re going to be tempted to skip a day or call it quits. That\u2019s where <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inc.com\/gordon-tredgold\/7-truths-about-accountability-that-you-need-to-kno.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-schema-attribute=\"\">accountability groups<\/a> or partners come in.<\/p>\n<p>When I set my reading goal, I held myself accountable by announcing it to my social media audiences.\u00a0 But you don\u2019t need an audience for accountability.\u00a0 Simply letting those in your inner circle know what you\u2019re working on will help you stay on track.<\/p>\n<p>You can also find a workout buddy, join a like-minded group, or make a post on Instagram about why this habit is important to you.<\/p>\n<p>When I was in the Marine Corps I had a workout buddy. During one of our off days, we had planned on going to the gym and working out. I had other plans; stay in bed. Well, my workout buddy walked into my room, grabbed my ankle, and literally pulled me off the top bunk. He was the best accountability buddy I\u2019ve ever had.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-5 fusion-flex-container nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start fusion-flex-content-wrap\" style=\"max-width:1248px;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-4 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:100%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:1.92%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:0px;--awb-spacing-left-large:1.92%;--awb-width-medium:100%;--awb-order-medium:0;--awb-spacing-right-medium:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:1.92%;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-order-small:0;--awb-spacing-right-small:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-small:1.92%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-column-has-shadow fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\"><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-4 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-two\" style=\"--awb-margin-top-small:0px;--awb-margin-right-small:0px;--awb-margin-bottom-small:15px;--awb-margin-left-small:0px;\"><h2 class=\"fusion-title-heading title-heading-left fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" style=\"margin:0;--fontSize:36;line-height:1.1;\">Put Your Plan Into Action!<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-5\"><p>Whether or not you follow these steps, I wish you all the best in building your new habits this year. Remember, creating new habits is a long game, so be sure to focus on taking it one day at a time.<\/p>\n<p>Set your goal, make any necessary preparations, and execute that plan. Good luck!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[691],"tags":[697],"class_list":["post-25451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-writer-development","tag-featured"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Scott","author_link":"https:\/\/calepin.co\/author\/scottadmin"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/calepin.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/calepin.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/calepin.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calepin.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calepin.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25451"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/calepin.co\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25451\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/calepin.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calepin.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calepin.co\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}