Creating Good Habits

Have you ever had one of those days or weeks where nothing seems to come together the way you thought it would? Well, that is exactly the year I am having! We are in the second month of 2023 and I had all kinds of visions of exciting and new things that were going to happen. I was going to be more motivated to make changes and I was going to be blown away with all of the changes that were going to be made. I was going to get on a regular exercise program, do more meal planning, explore new hobbies, the list is so very long!

And then life happens, and I realize that a new year is not a magic pill that will make me any different. If I don’t change anything, everything will stay the same. I have come to realize that I have very well established habits that are not supportive of the new changes I want in my life, and that has become very clear! 

I’m so grateful that Debbie and I decided several months ago that we wanted to start the “Chatty Chicks Book Club” for Authentic Friendships. We chose “Atomic Habits” by James Clear to be our first read, what a fabulous choice we made, and so timely! We are now half way through the six weeks and this book is everything I need to tackle that list of changes I want. The most important thing I have learned so far is that it is not only about setting goals when I want change, it’s about creating habits that support the change I want, doable habits that will take me one step at a time towards my goals! It doesn’t feel quite so daunting when I look at it like that!

If you are like me and you want to turn this year around before it gets completely out of hand, pick up Atomic Habits and learn with me and the Chatty Chicks how to make habits that support your goals. James Clear gives us 4 simple laws for how to do that, here is a brief look at each of those laws.

Make It Obvious

The 1st Law in Atomic Habits is “Make It Obvious”. We do that by becoming aware of what our current habits are, write them down and decide which of the current habits are working and which are not. One way to make changes in the habits that are not working is to choose a new behavior we want and to decide when and where we will practice that new habit. Clear suggests that we stack the new habits with current habits that are working. Ultimately to change habits it is beneficial to make them obvious and visible. 

Make It Attractive

The 2nd Law in Atomic Habits is to “Make It Attractive”. Pair the new habit with something that you want to do. Surround yourself with people who want the same things that you do. Before doing a difficult task, do something that you enjoy first, this will create a motivation ritual. When our environment is set and we are surrounded by others who want the same goals, we are much more likely to be successful.

Make It Easy

The 3rd Law in Atomic Habits is “Make It Easy”. Decrease the number of steps between you and your good habits. Prepare your environment to make future actions easier. Find a way to automate your habits. Use technology and resources that will help you automatically choose the good habits you want.

Make It Satisfying

The 4th Law in Atomic Habits is “Make It Satisfying”. Immediately after you complete the good habit that you want, give yourself a reward. When avoiding a bad habit, design a way to see the benefits of not doing it. Track your habits, work to create a good habit chain of success. Never miss twice. When you forget to do a habit, make sure you get back on track immediately. 

This is just a very brief glimpse into the great advice and tactics for creating the good habits that you want to implement in your daily lives to create the life you want to live. Be sure to check out the book for all the details. I know that I plan to turn this year around and make 2023 the year of good habits, starting today!

In Friendship,

:)Sheri

*If you didn’t get in on the Chatty Chicks Book Club for Atomic Habits, please consider joining us for our second book, “Daring Greatly” by Brene’ Brown. Our next round will begin in April, here is the link to sign up: https://www.authenticfriendships.com/offers/WjHf8vJN Be sure to sign up early, we did fill all of the seats for Atomic Habits and we are anticipating the same for Daring Greatly!!