You’ve heard of KISS right? It stands for ‘Keep it Simple Stupid’ – while I’m not a huge fan of the word stupid, I like the idea of keeping things simple.
Which is why when it comes to breaking bad habits and picking up new ones I fell in love with James Clear’s book ‘The Power of Habit.’ It is no doubt a book I will refer back to on a regular basis as I try and break a few of my own bad habits.
There are several powerful points made in Clear’s book. Here are my 2 key takeaways when it comes to Keeping it Simple when getting new habits to stick:
The 2 Minute Rule
The basic premise of this rule is that if you are starting a new habit – like running – that you start out simply by doing 2 minutes a day. Clear’s point is that usually by the time you get all your kit on and get out the door, 2 minutes feels like a breeze and you are more likely to do longer than 2 minutes BUT even if you only do 2 minutes, you’ve worked towards your new goal which is better than doing nothing.
Don’t Skip Twice Rule
I LOVE this rule and it has transformed my mindset over the past few weeks. Basically it says that if you decide what your new habit is – like going to bed at midnight (instead of 3am!) – don’t skip twice.
It is important to acknowledge that when you are trying to create a new habit that you will probably fall off the bandwagon. Clear’s point is that is totally ok and expected – just don’t do it twice! So if you miss your Monday bed time, don’t miss it Tuesday.
In our next post… we talk about the power of our words and how without even realising it, our internal dialogue is also just as much a habit as our daily activities! And I tell you 3 of the WORST things we women tell ourselves (on a regular, self-fulfilling basis!).
FREE TECHPIXIES BAD HABIT BREAKER WORKSHEET
This is the second of a four part series we are releasing over the next few weeks on habits. If you’d like to go on this journey with us and start changing a bad habit you’ve had for a while, then download our FREE HABIT BREAKER WORKSHEET which will help identify the habit you want to change as well as work out your habit loop and track your progress towards breaking it.
We’d love it if you’d join us for an online discussion too! I’m LIVE on Facebook at 12pm on Tuesdays.