The Easiest Way to Stick to Daily Habits
/"I want to start doing yoga everyday, but I need help."
Oh, I know that story.
I've lived that story many many times. In fact, it's one of my greatest hits. I've found that I go in and out of daily commitments, whether it's been writing, walking, meditating, doing yoga or exercise, eating greens, or abstaining from certain substances like alcohol and cannabis. (But not my coffee! Don't take away my coffee!).
This is why I love learning about habits, how we make them, break them, and ultimately (hopefully) keep them.
There's been one simple trick that's helped me this year to stick to some new daily habits.
After my client asked for help, we discussed what a daily yoga practice might look like for her. I suggested that she start really small, like stupidly small. Something she could do anywhere and in 3 minutes or less. Knowing her body and her goals, I created a short routine and talked her through it.
I don’t know if it was the yoga, or the excitement about the new practice, but as she put on her shoes she looked like a kid who just got permission to go outside to play.
When she was leaving, I stopped her. I asked her to take out her phone and open up her text messages. Then I told her to pick an emoji, one that she liked and made her smile. That would be her "I did my yoga practice" emoji. Then I told her to text it to me because she just did her practice for the day.
She picked a rainbow. I loved it.
This morning, I got another one. I'm loving all these rainbows in our messages already.
So, if there's something you'd like to do everyday, one of the best things you can do is recruit an accountability buddy. Maybe they have the same or similar resolution as you or just like to cheer you on. Then, when you do your practice each day, send them an emoji.
This is helpful for a few reasons:
Accountability helps us to show up for ourselves. Many of us have a hard time with self-accountability, but we're more likely to show up when someone else is watching.
If your friend is also doing the same, seeing their emoji each day will remind you to do your new habit as well. It's a great way to upward spiral together.
Neuroscience shows that when we get to check box, get a gold star, or mark our progress in some way, we get a nice hit of dopamine which gives a boost to our mood. That good feeling will inspire us to do it again the next day. You also get it when you're on the receiving end of the messages so that's a bonus for the accountability buddies!
Text support like this is one of the ways I love working with my coaching clients.
If you want to up your game in upward spiraling your life, consider doing a short series of coaching with me.
I can help you to reach your professional and personal goals by helping you to get clear on how to take the next best steps. In addition to our one-on-one sessions, you'll receive support like accountability texts outside fo the sessions.
You might be surprised in the changes we can make with just a few sessions. Learn more on how to get started here.
