Easy Ways to Form New Habits + Free Printable Habit Tracker

Forming a new habit is, of course, not a cakewalk… but with the right steps and techniques, it can be close to a cakewalk.

No, I'm not kidding. We instil bad habits and it's often too late to notice that we got into a whole new destructive habit and didn't even realise that. Bad habits are not formed deliberately and hence, they are easy to take on.

Good habits, on the other hand, require effort and willpower. It's about convincing your mind and body to do something that they may not enjoy in the short term but would definitely help them in the long run.

Since bad habits are often based on pleasure, they are as hard to break as easy it is to form them. Good habits are for breaking those guilty pleasures and hence require some extra efforts on our part.

Tell me, isn't it easier to scroll for hours on Instagram than to get out of bed and walk around for 1000 or more steps? Isn't it easier to order in something unhealthy than to drag yourself to the kitchen and prepare a healthy meal?

It all comes down to our DECISIONS

What makes it easier to adopt bad habits and tough to instil the good ones? Here's a simple answer: our decision-making.

We are constantly making decisions in our life, big or small, and it's up to us what we choose.

When we make a choice that delights our senses, we mostly end up making an unhealthy decision but when we choose something that is good for us, we end up on the right path.

Even if you decide to wake up early each day and pick up your workout gear, you face this choice every single morning, "should I wake up and do what is good for me or sleep in a little more?" Sleeping a little more is not bad if you do your workout after waking up, but it's all about making that one decision.

You face such one-decisions in all areas of your life each day. Once we have settled on making the right decisions, let's see what tools you can use to form new habits.

1. Habit Tracker

Undoubtedly, my favourite method of all time is keeping a habit tracker. I kept one throughout 2019 and 2020. And I did take up some really healthy habits during those years.

Do you, too, love taking things off your to-do list? If yes, you would love a habit tracker. Just take a pen and paper, write down the habit you are trying or want to form and track your everyday progress in the tracker. Just tick off the habit you did that day of a particular month. See the example below:

Photo by Prophsee Journals on Unsplash

Habit tracking also acts as a reminder to remind you of your goals and tasks. A habit can be as simple as eating an apple a day or taking your vitamins or waking up early.

Click here to download your Free Productive Habit Tracker 

You may take out its print and stick it in your journal or you may use the markup feature in a pdf viewer to mark your progress in the pdf itself.

You may also build your own habit tracker by taking ideas from Pinterest and see what works best for you.

2. Set Smaller Goals

It is the most effective way of taking up new habits.

If you wish to start working out, you don't simply jump to an advanced workout, you begin with the beginner's workout to let your body gradually adjust to the intermediate and advanced levels.

Set a goal to workout 10 minutes each day for a week, then 15 for the next and so on till you reach your desired workout duration.

Similarly, start reading five pages of a small book at the beginning of your reading journey rather than reading chapter after chapter of a boring book causing yourself a burnout.

Remember, one step at a time and you will learn to climb the ladder faster in life.

3. Follow 21/90 Rule

Experts say that it takes 21 days to build a habit and 90 days to make it a lifestyle.

So, to turn a new activity into your habit, you need to be willing to do the same thing over and over for 21 days without fail and if you do the same thing every day for 90 days, it no longer requires willpower and determination as the habit now becomes a part of your lifestyle and you hardly treat it like a burden or responsibility.

4. Consistency is the key

Don't skip your habit for more than a day in a row. If you think you can skip a few days and still build a habit, you are wrong. Thinking, "it's okay to skip today," can itself become a habit and turn your habit-building into mere periods of procrastination.

You can skip a day if it's an emergency are you just can't do it at any cost but make sure you continue your habit from the day after that.

Do not skip a habit for more than one day in a row. A habit tracker is a great tool to keep a check on your progress.

5. Set Rewards For Yourself

We study hard because we know our efforts will pay off in terms of scores, scholarships and admission to our dream university in the end. Hence, our eyes set upon the reward.

And if you are someone who loves to work for rewards, then this can act as a great motivation for you. Set daily, weekly or monthly goes for yourself. They can be big or small because it simply depends on what motivates you the best.

6. Don't Give Up Too Soon

One of the most common reasons to not turn a habit into a lifestyle is not seeing the results instantly and hence, giving up too soon.

Know that it takes time to see the results, no matter what habit you are trying to build.

An hour of running one day won't help you shed multiple pounds but doing so each day for a month or more can bring in life-changing results.

You won't notice the change by drinking enough water one day but doing so each day will reflect in your health, body and glowing skin surely.

Not seeing results is just an excuse. Put the work in for as long as you can. Keep going. Build those life-changing habits!

I don't just say but assure you that building a new habit isn't as tough as people make it seem. It's easy when done the right way and done consistently.

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE PRINTABLE HABIT TRACKER

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