When someone on LinkedIn asked me, “What’s your best tip for establishing a new habit?” I had to think about what really makes a habit stick. I could have talked about popular techniques like Tiny Habits, but instead, I wanted to focus on something a little more personal: awareness and immediate action.
The Power of Awareness and Immediate Action
The moment you become aware that:
- You’ve not done the thing you wanted to do, or
- You’ve just done something you didn’t want to do…
That’s the critical moment where change happens. You need to stop and reverse the action right away. For example, if you’re trying to give up chocolate and suddenly realise you’ve already got a piece in your mouth, spit it out.
It might feel useless in the moment, like it’s too late. But it’s not. This action reinforces awareness, and as the saying goes in Gestalt therapy: “Awareness is curative.” The key is to move that awareness before the event happens. It seems impossible, but it’s not.
Let me give you another example: if you’re trying to establish a morning meditation routine, but you find yourself halfway through your shower before realising you forgot to meditate, stop the shower, get out, and meditate, even if it means being late or flustered.
This immediate redirection is how you form strong neural connections and ultimately build new habits. While it may seem inefficient at first, it works.
Top Tips for Establishing a New Habit
Now that we understand the importance of awareness and immediate action, here are some practical tips to help you establish and maintain new habits:
- Make a plan: Create a specific plan for when, where, and how you’ll practice your habit. It helps to tie the new habit to an existing routine, like “After I make my morning coffee, I’ll meditate for 2 minutes.” This gives you a reliable cue to remind you of your new habit.
- Start small: Begin with an easy, manageable action that you can integrate into your daily routine without too much effort. For example, if you want to start journaling, begin by journaling for 5 minutes or even just answering one question, eg “what am I greatful for?” By starting small, you’ll build momentum without feeling overwhelmed.
- Stay consistent: Choose a specific time and place to work on your habit daily. Linking it to something already established in your routine can make it easier to stick with “habit stacking” eg flossing after I wash my teeth at night. Consistency is key when it comes to building lasting habits.
- Make it enjoyable: If you find a way to make your habit enjoyable, you’ll be more likely to keep doing it. Try adding elements that make the process more fun, such as listening to music during exercise or enjoying a peaceful environment while you meditate.
- Track your progress: Monitoring your progress helps keep you motivated. Use an app, journal, or even a calendar to record each day you complete the habit. Watching your progress build over time can be incredibly satisfying and reinforce the habit.
- Have a support system: Tell your friends, family, or colleagues about the habit you’re trying to form. This will help keep you accountable and you could ask them to check in on your progress. Having people who support your goals can make a huge difference.
- Identify rewards: Release Dopamine into the process. Whether it’s a small treat or just a small moment of recognising your accomplishment, celebrating the wins that come with ticking your habit will keep you motivated. Recognising and celebrating your accomplishments, no matter how small, can strengthen the habit.
- Don’t be afraid to start over: If you miss a day or slip up, don’t be discouraged. Reflect on what caused the stumble, adjust your plan, and start again. Building habits isn’t a straight path, and it’s perfectly normal to need a restart.
Forming Habits Takes Time
At the beginning, forming a new habit can feel inefficient or awkward. Stopping mid-shower to meditate or spitting out chocolate may seem extreme, but these actions are part of the habit-building process. They help to rewire your brain and create new pathways for behaviour.
Over time, these disruptions will fade, and the habit will become second nature. Once you’ve consistently acted on your awareness, the habit will feel automatic and effortless. That’s when the real efficiency comes in.
Habits take about a month of daily practise to become automatic.
Conclusion
Forming a new habit requires small, consistent actions, awareness, and a willingness to correct course immediately. By starting small, making the process enjoyable, and tracking your progress, you’ll make it easier to stick with your new habit. Support from others and identifying your rewards can keep you motivated, and if you stumble, don’t hesitate to start over.
With patience and persistence, the habit will become part of your routine and feel effortless over time. Just think about driving a car, initially it was quite a mental load now it’s mostly just automatic and habitual which is so efficient.
