Habits determine much of what we do every day. Estimates of how much bad or good habits steer our actions (or inactions) account for at least 50% to upwards of 90%. Either way: Much of what we do happens by habit.
That is both a blessing and a curse, depending on whether the habit aligns with what we want.
When we want results that we currently don’t have, we can set a goal. It’s a good idea to make it a SMART goal (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound). It is even better to make it a SMARTER goal – the added “ER” stands for “exited” and “recorded.” In other words, make sure the goal excites you, and you write it down.
Then it is time to come up with a strategy. Not too many strategies at once, please.
From there, there are action steps. Small ones. Even tiny ones. There is only one caveat: You got it to do it regularly. Tiny steps taken consistently are unstoppable.
That’s where habits come in. Make the tiny action step/s into a routine. When we do that, we form new neural connections. By now, writing daily Brilliance Nuggets is a habit for me. LOL.
Two Helpful Habit Hacks To The Rescue
Habit Hack #1: Habit Stacking
Pair a habit you already have with a habit you wish to create.
For example, I am inviting you to pair your (presumed) habit of having a cup of coffee (or whatever beverage) with reading my Brilliance Nuggets. If you read them while drinking a glass of wine while reading the Nuggets, that is fine with me. 🙂
Another example: While my expresso machine boots up in the morning, I do a few pushups. (I did that for a while but then stopped… time to get back to that! We can acquire habits but we can also lose them again – the work on our habits is never quite “done”)
Habit Hack #2: Temptation Bundling
Bundle two habits: One is a habit you want to do. The other is a habit you need to do.
You might do the habit you need first and then the habit you want. Or, if it is possible to exercise both habits simultaneously, do that.
Example:
- New habit (beneficial for extracting your brilliance): Write down one brief Brilliance Nugget, i.e., something you do well, a thought, an idea that is worth capturing and potentially passing on to someone else
- A habit you want to do: Eat lunch.
- Habit stacking in this example is to write your nugget right before -or during – lunch.
I’m Curious
- Which habit do you want to adopt?
- How can you use either of these habit hacks to make that process easier and more fun?
If you like, send me your ideas. I’d love to see them!
Dr. Stephie
P.S.: I appreciate you commenting and sharing this with others. Thank you!
