Start a new Habit while working on self-improvement

There’s an anecdote that says it takes an average of 21 days habit formation. Recent research has proven it takes much longer than that if the habit is harder. 66 days is suggested by the team from University College London. Do you know how to develop good habits in life?

This post is part of our 31 days of tips for Working Moms to find Calm in the Chaos of Life series.

Why You Should Start a New Habit

There are many reasons why we may want to benefit and improve ourselves. Whether the habit is drinking more water a day (let’s make this our #1 habit to try to make), working out (sigh, I need to make this a habit of more than zero times a week), or getting to work on time (just me?) – there are things we can all do to become better.

Better moms. Better employees. Better bosses? Better spouses. Better, healthier, and happier us! Remember, when we’re happier and healthier, we perform better in all aspects of our life.

How to make New Habits Stick

Being mindful is the key to starting a new habit because we can always say we’re going to do this and that, but we never do unless we actually mindfully put action into place. That’s where accountability comes in. You can use a habit tracker (good news – I have one for you!) or a buddy. Or both!

You can hang your habit tracker on the fridge or on your mirror. You can keep it in your purse.

And your friend? You can check in daily via text or in person (accountability, when written, is more meaningful than spoken since there’s a record of it).

How else can you make a new habit stick?

Daily practice of the new habit.
Start with small changes.
Celebrate your wins.
Don’t fret if you’re imperfect. If you miss a day, just get back up and do it again!
Set reminders or rituals for starting the habit activity.
Write it down and track your progress. Use my habit tracker!
Remind yourself why you are working so hard on forming this new habit.

Grab your Habit Tracker now!

I made this lovely habit tracker with the anecdotal amount of 21 days because it honestly looks less daunting. I urge you to focus on how to change habits in 21 days and see how you feel and reflect on your changes. Reflect on how this new habit has changed your life for the better. Reflect on how easy or difficult it was to start, and then how this level of difficulty changed over the 31 days.

Then, print out another couple of sheets and keep at it! Solidify this habit in your life!