A Good Habit is Just Something You Do Without Thought

To those who are already faltering on your rashly made New Year resolutions, I want to offer these simple tips for rewiring your brain to Do Different:

• Don't try too many things at the same time. Say you want to 'take a walk and get lunch every day'. You're trying to do three things in this one resolution. Take a walk. Get a lunch. Do something every day. Pick. Preferably just one. Which is the most important? Is it the walk? The food? The habit? Focus on that priority and that priority alone.
   
• Remove friction to achieving the habit you want. Let's say you've picked the quality lunch. Put good quality but boring food in your desk. Now there you have a motive to go for a walk for a more interesting lunch but even if you get busy, there's food right there to eat. 
   
• Substitute a good thing for a bad thing. Hold a pen if you can't hold a cigarette, drink berry tea in a wine glass to reduce booze, keep a glass of water on your desk at all times, put a fruit basket within easy reach and add capsicums and carrots to the offering.

Most of all, even if you've already "screwed up", remember that today is a new day. So is tomorrow. There is really nothing magical about 1 January. And there is also nothing preventing you from starting your new habit TODAY. And if it is too late today, start tomorrow. Don't wait until Friday or next Monday or the start of the next month. Just decide, commit, do.

I've been having fun brainstorming "remove the friction" ideas on resolutions so text me, comment on the blog, or drop me a note if you want some ideas with yours. It's like a game of Resolution MadLibs. Happy to help.