So here we are in the middle of January. By now lots of new year resolutions lie about like roadkill.
I hear you way over here, kindred spirit. I might be the Goddess of Dead Resolutions.
Let’s use a better strategy. Instead of intentions promising to do, or stop doing, stuff, avoid making them open-ended for all eternity. Instead, commit to doing The Thing for just three weeks. You’ll have a far better chance of success when it doesn’t seem like such a huge undertaking. You can do anything for just 21 days, am I right? Three weeks of consistently doing The Thing every day will raise you up to a whole new level of confidence and self-respect.
So why is creating new habits a good thing? “Your brain likes habits because they’re efficient. When you automate common actions, you free up mental resources for other tasks.” (Healthline.com – How Long Does It Take For a New Behavior To Become Automatic?).
I learned about the miracle of automaticity – automated actions – from Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson by following her Bright Line Eating guidance. By consistently planning my meals in advance I no longer have to make decisions all day about what to eat. It’s efficient. Your brain loves that!
It seems the more complex a new behavior is, the longer it might take to become automatic. So maybe it takes a bit longer than three weeks to become deeply ingrained. So…
What happens after the three weeks, you might ask? Simple! Do another three weeks…and another…etc. Before you know it, it’s a habit. Think of it as a “habit subscription.”
What do you think? Does a three-week agreement with yourself to do the New Thing make you feel more confident? Actually do-able?
Photo by Elena Kloppenburg on Unsplash
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