Research for the Challenge
September 19 - 25
Introduction
If you have read my about section, you will already know that I created this blog to challenge myself to be more consistent with my self-care and general health & well-being. However, before I start this journey, I will be doing some research on how to build healthy habits more effectively. So here are some of the things I have learned from my research:
1. You don’t need to make a massive change in your life to see a difference, so be realistic in setting your goals
Minor changes to your habits can compound over time to have a significant result. This is why I am trying to build one habit per week rather than doing everything all at once. All the habits I choose are also inexpensive and easy.
2. If you want to cultivate good habits, you need to first become aware of your bad habits in the first place
So for one day, I observed myself and wrote down whenever my bad habits occurred and what caused me to do them. This helped me pinpoint exactly where I was messing up or what conditions caused me to fail. For example, I find it extremely hard to work out after a long school day, so I opted to schedule my workouts for the days I work from home.
3. Your environment is critical
If your environment constantly reminds you of your goals, you are much more likely to do them. Subsequently, I wrote tons of sticky notes with my goals and posted them throughout my house to remind me to complete my daily tasks. I also set a lot of reminders on my phone. On the days I need to do yoga or work out, I will put my yoga mat in my hallway, where I will see it first thing in the morning.
5. Scale it down if you are struggling to find motivation
Just do your task (working out, reading, meditating, etc.), even if it’s only for 2 minutes. It is much better for you to do it for 2 mins versus not at all. Sometimes simply starting is the most challenging part; once you have started, you will feel compelled to complete the whole task.
6. Set punishments if you don’t complete the task
I have agreed to pay my friend $5 if I don’t complete all my weekly goals.
Reference
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