Just Kate Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 This time of year always makes me start planning for things I want to do to improve my life. Nothing crazy...just simple items like meal planning, daily Bible reading, house cleaning routines, etc. I love planning and I really enjoy this time of year, so each year I have all of these great ideas. Sadly, I never stick with them. So, for those of you who have added new routines/plans to your life with success, what has helped you to actually follow-through with them long term? Why do I get so excited and then lose momentum? Would love to figure this out because I know things would be so much simpler if I could make myself follow-through. Thanks for helping me think this through! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 I use a bullet journal. When I want to start something new, I include it on my list each day until it becomes an automatic habit. I also only work on one new thing at a time! Don't overwhelm yourself :) 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 I recently read Better Than Before by Gretchin Rubin. It's a book about habits that was very eye opening. I haven't had time to put the info to the test but many things made sense to me in terms of why certain habits haven't stuck. I *think* it will be helpful moving forward. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 I *love* making lists, taking stock and planning for improvement!!! Practically speaking however, if I try to do it all, I do nothing. :-( So, I use my lists to choose *one* thing to attack. That usually works pretty well. Definitely NOT 100%, but pretty well. Anne 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 My habits are simple and easy to implement. I recently tried to begin reading 10 chapters a day from scripture. Well that was stupid. I know better than that. I'm beginning a 3 chapter a day plan soon, 2 chapters canologically with one psalm or proverb a day for 2 years. Much simpler. I joined Plan To Eat which I'm hoping will be simple, and I work out at 6 am before the kids are up. I like The Everyday Family Chore System. Good stuffs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 I have to link new habits to old ones. For example, I started planking daily by doing it in the bathroom right before my shower. I never forget to shower, and now I'll never forget to plank. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Kate Posted December 29, 2015 Author Share Posted December 29, 2015 I use a bullet journal. When I want to start something new, I include it on my list each day until it becomes an automatic habit. I also only work on one new thing at a time! Don't overwhelm yourself :) Lol...regular bullet journaling is one of the things I want to make into a habit this year!!! And I do think that one thing at a time is great advice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Kate Posted December 29, 2015 Author Share Posted December 29, 2015 I recently read Better Than Before by Gretchin Rubin. It's a book about habits that was very eye opening. I haven't had time to put the info to the test but many things made sense to me in terms of why certain habits haven't stuck. I *think* it will be helpful moving forward. Thanks for the book recommendation! My library has it to borrow via kindle and I am on the holds list. I just may buy it from Amazon now because it looks like the type of book that may motivate me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Dh and I are list makers and I think that naturally makes us enjoy tracking things. For me, that accountability is motivating. I try to focus on ONE thing at a time. I track a lot of things but once something becomes a routine the tracking is easy. So my challenge is to work hard at the one thing I'm trying to improve and make doing it AND tracking it automatic so I can move on to the next challenge. Books read, money spent, gym workouts, menu plans, house projects...some of the things we track. Last year we worked hard to make our gym membership worth the money. This week we'll sit down and look over our trends and see what needs to be nudged back into our routine and whether we're using it enough. It's hard to lie to myself about how much I've let something slip when I'm staring at the data. Oh, we ate out four times last month? Better focus on following through on menu planning. I would encourage you to focus on just a few things...it's ok to make a big list of things you want to work on but trying to tackle all of it at once can lead to failure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in OR Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 I recently read Better Than Before by Gretchin Rubin. It's a book about habits that was very eye opening. I haven't had time to put the info to the test but many things made sense to me in terms of why certain habits haven't stuck. I *think* it will be helpful moving forward. Was just coming on the thread to recommend this book - Rubin had lots of insights I hadn't heard before about habits. My local library had it - think I'll go put it on hold to re-read. Leo Babauta's writing at zenhabits also resonates with a lot of people. Erica in OR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. Sometimes I over think things, not every decision requires tons of research. Doing things a specific plan that I can at least start from because when the going gets tough I will revert to easy(we all do), you have to make the new things easy to keep doing. Breaking things into steps. Committing and just jumping into it and doing it. Sometimes I make myself commit in some outside way, which makes me way more likely to follow through and keep on. Not being afraid to tweak as needed- I tend to follow something fairly religiously at first and then change things up once I get into the groove- establish the habit and then mold it to meet you better if need be. - one of my goals last year was doing some things I always wanted to do- so I planned a 2 week roadtrip in about 2 weeks or so maybe, it was crazy but we just decided to go with it and not stress about getting it all just right and we had a fabulous time -I started Aerial Silks- I had a friend go with me the first time as I was terrified but had wanted to do it so long- committing with someone else made it easier- any time you can do something with someone else it helps - I successfully read the whole Bible in a year a few years ago because I followed someone else's plan - I successfully added various routines into my day following Motivated Moms(years ago) This makes me think I need some kind of meal planning thing as that is where I'm struggling as of now- I had a system that worked and then it stopped but everything I've looked at I don't like... hmmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 I would say that I'm pretty decent at starting new habits but of course I don't succeed at everything. What I do well is getting back up, dusting myself off and going at again. I can be pretty persistent. I may change course, I may have stops and stalls but that is ok. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Prioritizing them and then focusing on the top one. Once the top one has been tackled and humming a long for a while, then I focus on the next one. If it turns out to be too much and the top one is no longer humming along, I drop the newest one or at least back off significantly on the new one so my top priority doesn't suffer. In other words, if I have to choose between doing one thing well (do not equate well with perfectly) or two things poorly, I choose to do the one thing well. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 I do the spaghetti-and-ceiling method... Meaning that I just keep trying new good things, and the things that "stick" are clearly the right habits for me. I need things to work for me, and the best way to find out is just give it a try. There are thousands of healthy habits to choose from. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Was just coming on the thread to recommend this book - Rubin had lots of insights I hadn't heard before about habits. My local library had it - think I'll go put it on hold to re-read. Leo Babauta's writing at zenhabits also resonates with a lot of people. Erica in OR I forgot about zenhabits...thanks for the reminder! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 One thing I've noticed with the kids if that habits take a very, very long time to build. I remember reading something about 3 weeks years ago - my experience is 1-2 years. In other words, I have to remind the kids and face resistance for 1-2 years before something becomes ingrained. I guess I'd say personal habits will require the same length of conscious attention. If tasks can be done at a certain time, setting an alarm can be helpful. I find my iphone great for this as alarms can be set at different intervals and I use songs as the alarm tone - buy a song that remind you of the task and use that as the alarm sound. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 One thing I've noticed with the kids if that habits take a very, very long time to build. I remember reading something about 3 weeks years ago - my experience is 1-2 years. In other words, I have to remind the kids and face resistance for 1-2 years before something becomes ingrained. I guess I'd say personal habits will require the same length of conscious attention. If tasks can be done at a certain time, setting an alarm can be helpful. I find my iphone great for this as alarms can be set at different intervals and I use songs as the alarm tone - buy a song that remind you of the task and use that as the alarm sound. What I find REALLY annoying is that it takes a long time to develop a good habit but it doesn't take very long to brea that habit or turn it into a bad habit. I can work out regularly, working hard, then either get sick or go on a trip and it's almost like I have to start over. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendy not in HI Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Last year I used a little calendar tracker app on my kindle fire called "Goal Tracker - Habit Calendar" by "Intrasoft" I set three goals and told the program how often I was going to do it (daily, weekly, etc) The app would send a reminder each night. I could check off in the box each day as I completed the task. I didn't do so well with 2 of the habits (run daily and budgeting) but I used the calendar to help me remember to floss daily, and it really stuck. Seeing a full month of checkmarks was really motivating. I am now a flosser! It is something that sort of grossed me out in the passed, but now I floss most days. I also use my Bullet Journal. One item on my daily list is "Tidy Up". That has really helped me stay in control of my house. I put it at the top of my list each day, and run around for about 10 minutes tidying up the odds and ends. That little clean up act makes a huge difference for me. It motivates me to do other cleaning items that I would probably skip otherwise (oops, can't vacuum because the living room is a mess...) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 What I find REALLY annoying is that it takes a long time to develop a good habit but it doesn't take very long to brea that habit or turn it into a bad habit. I can work out regularly, working hard, then either get sick or go on a trip and it's almost like I have to start over. Yes. It's exhausting. I find that the most stressful aspect of family life, actually. I feel like as 'Mom' I'm responsible for my habits and installing habits in the kids and establishing family habits. And if I don't maintain continual awareness, all the hard work just slides away. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I successfully started exercising consistently with TinyHabits. The idea is to come up with a habit that takes 60 seconds or less and then do it consistently. For me, that was changing into exercise clothes immediately after dinner. I didn't say I had to exercise, just get dressed to exercise. Then, 4 out of 5 nights, I do exercise because it feels silly to walk around the house in spandex and sneakers and not exercise in the evenings. The fifth night I don't beat myself up - I did my habit, didn't I? :-) I just didn't feel like exercising, and that was OK. Emily 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I successfully started exercising consistently with TinyHabits. The idea is to come up with a habit that takes 60 seconds or less and then do it consistently. This is a really interesting idea! I've signed on for the emails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 One change at a time and it has to be something I WANT to do not think I should. If I think I want to and don't then I examine what the old habit is giving me. Gretchen Rubin has some really interesting stuff she's written about habits and change. You might look at the library. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I successfully started exercising consistently with TinyHabits. The idea is to come up with a habit that takes 60 seconds or less and then do it consistently. For me, that was changing into exercise clothes immediately after dinner. I didn't say I had to exercise, just get dressed to exercise. Then, 4 out of 5 nights, I do exercise because it feels silly to walk around the house in spandex and sneakers and not exercise in the evenings. The fifth night I don't beat myself up - I did my habit, didn't I? :-) I just didn't feel like exercising, and that was OK. Emily One change at a time and it has to be something I WANT to do not think I should. If I think I want to and don't then I examine what the old habit is giving me. Gretchen Rubin has some really interesting stuff she's written about habits and change. You might look at the library. These are both things I was going to add. Sometimes I have to start with something really small. Like with walking my first goal was just to make it outside, there were no time or distance requirements but just outside and of course I gradually walked longer and longer. Sometimes you hear that you should start something with the end in mind but in reality that can be so discouraging you never start at all. Before I got pregnant and sick we averaged 2 hrs a day of walking- I really wanted to get back there again but I just didn't have it in me at that point and it depressed me to think about it. I had to start entirely over from scratch. The hard part of this(to me) is to mentally reset myself- perhaps I was able/did do xyz before but I'm not now- I need to think about where I'm at now and not where I've been or want to be and to be honest, getting out the door sounded like a pathetic goal that I was ashamed to have but it is the one I needed and once I accepted that I was able to get right back in there. And a million times agree with not doing "shoulds" I guess I'm stubborn even with myself as there is no amount of convincing myself to do something that I don't want to do, even if I know I should. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 One change at a time and it has to be something I WANT to do not think I should. If I think I want to and don't then I examine what the old habit is giving me. Gretchen Rubin has some really interesting stuff she's written about habits and change. You might look at the library. That's a really good point- changing something because I WANT to change it is hard enough, but at least it's easier than changing something because I know I 'should'. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faithr Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I am reading an interesting book called The Willpower Instinct. I've just started it but it is written by a Stanford professor who teaches a highly popular course on willpower which the book is based on. It seems very down to earth. It has ten chapters and each chapter deals with explaining how your brain works and what little exercise you can do to hone your willpower. Apparently at the end of ten weeks you are capable of change. The first assignment is to simply note when you get off track. I think. I have to go back and look at the chapter again because I was nodding off as I read it last night! Anyway, I am hoping this very practical seeming book will help me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momacacia Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I start with the big goal then "backtrack" to smaller goals. I break things out by week or month. Eg, a few years ago we needed,to do a special diet as a family, so I scheduled "January--learn I make kefir, February learn to make sauerkraut, March--soups and broth, April--100% on protocol." The small, reasonable accomplishments fuel the larger goal. Be reasonable with the little goals. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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