New Year, New You: How to Build a Habit
New tricks for old(er) dogs.
We all know that the best way to make change last is by forming habits—and contrary to popular belief, old dogs are quite happy to sit, shake or speak with the right levers in place. Misconceptions exist mostly around how long it takes to make a habit a habit—it’s really more like two-to-eight months than the catchy 21 days. No wonder we feel defeated when something doesn’t stick and we say thank you, next to our good intentions. So if a new habit’s on your 2021 punch list, we think it’s worth a little time to get smart on how it truly works.
Read about it:
Atomic Habits (try this primer if a book feels daunting)
It’s not you—really, it’s not. Author James Clear proves some science behind the faulty systems we typically turn to in order to break bad habits and form new ones. And he offers better, ready-to-roll strategies built on the best of biology, neurology and psychology. One of our favorite tools? Habit stacking—where you pair a new habit with an existing habit for piggybacked results.
Test yourself:
To form better habits, we first need to understand how we respond to expectations. Once again, Gretchen Rubin’s got the goods with this Illuminating (See what we did there?) quiz that will help you decipher what motivates you and how to get yourself to do what you want. We highly recommend taking a post-quiz deeper dive by picking up her book of the same title.
See the stats:
If you’re a let’s just get down to it person, this app is for you. Type in the endgame—what you do or don’t do that needs switching up—then use the simple interface to start your “streak.” The gamification is as addictive as the visual on your forward-moving progress. Break a streak? Just get back at it—we told you, it takes some time.
Chart your chores:
If you prefer pen to paper, this journal’s for you—a grown-up version of the trusty chore chart. We even invite you to hang it on the refrigerator. Gold stars are optional.
