When it comes to successful ways to start a new habit, we  just naturally suck!

“Ugh! I know I need to make lifestyle changes to get my online business started. I just can’t seem to stick to them.”

– This was one of the responses we received from a badass female hustler in one of our recent IG story polls.

The truth is though, her issue is common AF. We’ve all been here at different phases in our lives. We all know the logistics of what we need to do to get the results we want but can’t seem to make important changes to do it.

To be more organized, we know we need to: Plan ahead and stick to a freakin’ schedule.

To lose weight we know we need to: Workout, eat healthier and stop eating all the fuckin donuts!

We know how to leave a job we hate: Start a profitable business based on a passion.

Still and yet, we can’t get ourselves to stick to ANY of these habits for longer than a week or two!

WTF?! Why is it so hard to adopt successful ways to start a habit?

Simply put…developing new habits is a lot. We have squirrel brain and can’t focus, our lives are busy AF and we naturally resist change.

So, as a result, we fail to put the right systems in place to really make them stick. We also make the mistake of moving way too fast too soon, greedily biting off more than we can chew (those damn donuts again) and BOOM…our brain short circuits and we’re instantly in a state of overwhelm!

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Think of the last time you attempted sucessful ways to start a new habit.

Does this sound familiar?

• I’m going to start my business and work on it all day every day!
• Maybe I will start to plan my business activities out for the month.
• I’ve decided to work out every day before work
• I plan to clean and prep my workspace each week

All of those plans sound awesome, but are they realistic?

If you’re not typically someone who works out…like ever, doesn’t schedule things, has a full-time job and has never started a business before, trying to be successful at allll of these new habits at once, is the best way for you to succeed at NONE.

Not because you suck, but because our minds are simply hardwired to rebel against change. We expect instant gratification. We want fast-food results. And when we don’t see immediate results appear in the time frame that’s subconsciously conditioned into our spoiled little minds, we get discouraged.

After implementing a couple of new habits for a week or two, you tell yourself “omg! I’ve been attempting to get my business started for like, 2.5 weeks…why is my blog not up? Why is my business not booming?

And after the high wears off a bit, and you face a super busy day, you take a self-care break from getting your business going, and slowly but surely you’re right back to binge-watching Friends on Netflix instead of listening to business podcasts and meaninglessly scrolling through Instagram.

This is around the time you subconsciously say “screw it” and throw in the towel.

Because…

You tried to change too many habits too soon.

You got impatient when the results didn’t magically appear.

Life got busy AF and you just… couldn’t even…

You found yourself right back where you started and now…you just want a shot of vodka to calm your burnt out, overwhelmed mind.

Did I nail it?

Well…the good news is, it isn’t you that sucks, it’s your method! You’re a smart, beautiful sunflower and you smell like sunshine! You can take on a new habit! And to prove it, we’re going to give you 7 successful ways to start a new habit without sucking…so keep reading to learn more!

1. Know your WHY

It shouldn’t be a shocker that mindset is a huge part of successfully adopting a new habit. So, you need to be extremely clear about your WHY. And it better be a damn good reason! Because if your WHY is anything like

“I want to start a successful new habit because I need a change” or “A new habit will help me get on track” then you’re screwed!

You need to dig deep d figure out a real honest reason that you can connect with. As you’re developing new habits you need to make it part of something bigger that’s actually worth the struggle and effort that starting a new habit will take.

• You’re not starting a new habit of planning a new business because you need change. Instead, you’re starting a new habit of planning a new business because staying at your 9 to 5 makes you unhappy, and unfulfilled and you can’t take it anymore.
• You didn’t decide to start a new habit of dragging yourself out of bed because you think early birds are cool. No. Your decision to start a new habit of getting up earlier is so you can work on your side hustle before you go to your 9 to 5. Because you need to get your business going so you can get your business going to finally leave your job.

Do you see the difference? Figure out what your “why” is before attempting to be successful at developing a new habit.

2.  Commit for 30 Days

They say that it takes 21 days to form a habit. In order to fully commit to adopting a new habit, you need to make sure that you give yourself a full 30 days to fully adopt it as part of your lifestyle. Take a calendar and highlight your new habit on the start date, and make a note of it every day until day 30. This will allow you to visually connect the habit to a goal date. Doing this will also help you to avoid quitting after 2 weeks when you don’t see immediate results. This habit calendar allows you to track your habits along the way.

3. Take on One Habit at A Time

Remember, biting off more than you can chew is a sure way to fail. In order to really start a successful new habit and see positive results, it’s best that you focus on choosing one important new habit at a time. By focusing on one habit at a time, you’ll be able to track your progress and results without feeling overwhelmed and condition your mind to take on a new routine. As you grow, and your mind recognizes the challenges as safe, you can focus on adopting more than one new habit at a time.

4. Start a New Habit Alongside an Old One

Starting a new habit shouldn’t be based on fads or a temporary desire. Your new habit should be based on something that will result in a long term change. That being said, your new habit doesn’t have to be over the top with a ton of steps to follow. Instead, it just needs to be a habit that you can commit to daily and ultimately Fo-Eh-Verr!

I learned about this from B.J. Fogg and his Tiny Habits method. An important facet that he teaches is to “anchor” your new habit to an old habit that you’re used to doing on a daily basis.

• “While I have my morning coffee, I’ll check my emails”
•  “After I brush my teeth for bed, I will create my things-to-do list for the following day”
•  “Once I get home from work, I will work on my business for 2 hours.”

You get the gist. Simply attach a new habit to one that already exists so that you can see successful results happen faster.

5. Focus on One Week At a Time

While you’ve made a commitment to start a successful new habit for 30 days, you need to focus on taking baby steps. Pay attention to how well you’re doing on a weekly basis. Are you having any issues? Feeling any struggles? Take note of how you’re adapting to this new habit and push yourself a little further as you go. If you missed completing your habit one day, that’s fine. Just remember to pick it back up the next day.

6. Fight Resistance

Naturally, our mindset is designed to resist change because it opts to make us feel safe. Doing things that are routine is safe while adopting a new habit can feel uncomfortable. Suddenly our mind starts to tell us that it’s too hard, or we don’t really need to do it. This is why it’s so important to have a serious WHY so that you can remind yourself of the reason for adopting this habit is essential. Once you fight the resistance and continue to implement the new habit into your daily routine, you will feel more and more comfortable with it becoming a part of your lifestyle. Just don’t quit!

7. Reward Your Accomplishments

Take the time to really reward yourself for working on a new habit daily. Tell your friends, let them praise you. Get yourself something that you’ve been wanting and increase your gift size each week that you stick with it. We are designed to react to positive reinforcement and there is nothing wrong with giving tooting your own horn! The more you get comfortable with achieving accomplishments, the more your confidence grows and the more you’ll feel secure with taking on new challenges designed to better your life. So, TREAT YOSELF! A

Wrapping up – Successful Ways to Start A New Habit

And finally, now that you’ve implemented all 7 successful ways to start a new habit, you should continue to adopt the new habit into your daily lifestyle. Make sure that you include it on your calendar and things-to-do list so that you acknowledge it as one of your routine habits. This will allow you to take on adopting your next habit into your lifestyle. At the end of the day, being successful at taking on a new habit is all about your mentality. If you’re looking to start a new business, having a productive routine with effective habits is key to being successful.

What are some tips you have on successful ways to start a new habit? Comment below, we would love to hear new ideas.