If You Are Failing to See Results with Your New Habits, Read This

We all have some high expectations when we make new habits, this is probably why these expectations are never met.

image: https://www.ted.com/playlists/321/talks_to_form_better_habits

You just got out of school and you finally have freed up some time, outside of work and hanging with friends of course, to start focusing on yourself.

First off, props to you for even having this thought because many people our age just finish up their semester at college and party the summer away in order to do it all over again next year.

Not us though, we are trying to craft a story that is worth telling and that is why we are working on ourselves this summer. Rebuilding habits, hitting the gym, creating new relationships and so much more.

Now, fast forward to close to two thirds done with summer now, it is almost August which is crazy, and you are stuck.

The first few weeks, even the first month, where you had these new habits were giving you new energy and helping you feel like a new person, but that is just not the case anymore even though you are still practicing the habits day in and day out.

So what are you doing wrong?

Well, I would like to say nothing but there is probably one thing that you are most likely doing while practicing your habits that is holding you back. How do I know? Because I used to do the same thing and still struggle with every so often.

Luckily you found yourself here to change that.

Overview

1. Why Building Habits is Essential
2. Where Most People Go Wrong When Creating New Habits
3. How to Create Habits the Right Way

Why Building Habits is Essential

You become what you consistently do, day in and day out.

We all have habits, whether you think about them on a daily basis or never think about them at all. They are at the core of every moment of our lives, shaping what we do on a daily basis and ultimately being a huge deciding factor on the results we see or don't see in the future. 

Do you ever sit in that college lecture or even at your job wishing you knew what the future had for you and how you could make sure all of this works out the way you want it to? 

Hoping these years of lower level work or even working for free will pay off?

Or just hoping that you aren't wasting your time and money in college?

Well, habits are essentially as close as you can get to that because the actions we consciously or unconsciously take on a day to day basis essentially can predict, or get as close as we can to predicting (as there are too many random factors at play to fully predict anything) how our future can look.

Habits are not some end all solution to your future worries, not by any stretch of the imagination, they just sway the odds in your favor for the future and if you can put the odds in your favor on a day to day basis, having habits that force actions that lead to opportunities, I would say your future is looking very bright.

And with that being said...

Where Many People Go Wrong When Creating New Habits

Don't end up going through the motions, have a purpose behind each habit.

Okay, before jumping to the real reason for this article, the number one reason for people's habits not playing out the way they want them to is the fact that they never sit down and actually think about the actions they are taking on a day to day basis, whether they realize they are taking them or not. 

So, first step is to take the first step and actually take a loo at the habits you have and how they have played out for you thus far.

Yes, that includes all of your habits, everything from going out on the weekends to your hit or miss gym habit.

How have those worked out for you so far? Probably not the best if you are reading this article.

Get on that first step and take an honest look at what habits have been hurting your progress, be honest with yourself because if you aren't I will guarantee that you see no improvement in the areas of your life you want to change.

Okay sweet, you have changed the habits you used to have and started to pick up some solid new habits.

Maybe you started taking a walk at night on top of going to the gym not only for the exercise but for the extra mental health benefits and extra time you can spend listening to a podcast and learning.

​Or maybe you started meditating on a daily basis to increase your overall happiness.

Either way, congrats but now flash forward a month or two, or maybe you are already a month or two in and the habit doesn't seem to be helping you as much as you thought it would.

Why?

​Because you just fell into a routine, no longer is the habit challenging you, it is just part of your daily life now.

I am not saying that this is a bad thing, the habit itself is good to have in your life, but if you are really looking for constant results you have to grow with the habit so that it is constantly changing you.

Maybe you started taking cold showers for 30 seconds and now you are starting to get used to it, instead of just plateauing and saying you have the habit, keep pushing yourself to go longer. (I can tell you from first hand experience that an extra few minutes in the cold is a huge difference).

​Don't just settle into the new routine with the new habit, that just brings you back to the old mindset you had just with a new habit.

image: https://lifehacker.com/master-the-habit-loop-to-break-bad-habits-and-build-bet-5948871

How to Create Habits the Right Way

Don't just get comfortable, stay uncomfortable while creating new habits.

I touched on this above but thought I could give you a little game plan to creating these new habits or at lest how to constantly challenge yourself with a habit.

First, always remember the reason that you started the habit.

If you started meditation in order to find more happiness in your relationships, maybe you start different types of meditation that will increase happiness in other areas of your life as well. 

Next, constantly be finding ways to add to the habit so that you are constantly doing something that is hard and pushing your comfort zone. If you just create  habit and do what is easy you are never going to grow to reach your full potential, you will essentially just stay at the same place you are at right after building that habit.

Read for longer, do harder workouts, take longer cold showers, stretch for longer or stretch different muscles.

Don't just fall into a routine because routines kill the effectiveness of habits and I'm sure after spending all this time working on new habits, you don't want them to bring no results or changes into your life.

Oh yeah, and stay consistent, the first eek or two are going to be easy because you are doing something new, but after that don't just fall of the boat and get lazy and miss a day here and there. The hard days are the days that shape the character and mindset the most, those days will help you more than three easy days combined.

I hope you guys enjoyed that as it has been a while from me but getting back into the swing of things and hope to talk with you all soon! Let me know what habits you are focused on in the comments below a big one for me is reducing the sugar intake in my diet and keeping my blood glucose levels more steady!

Have a great night,
​Taylor

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