How to Build Habits145takes focus and effort, but soon enough it will roll on by itself,
and take you along for the ride.
Before we dive into the details of habit building, right out
of the gate I’d like to address two common misconceptions
about habits.
The first one is that we must do it all, and do it perfectly,
from the minute we start. We become kamikaze habit build-
ers, diving in fast and deep, trying to build a habit way out of
our comfort zone and ultimately crashing and burning. There
are steps to creating habits. Shortcuts don’t usually serve any-
one well.
The second misconception is that habit building must
begin with self- discipline and willpower. But, in reality, those
should be our last- ditch resources. There are much easier ways
to start our habit building. Let me introduce you to seven of
my favorite tools.
Tool 1: Triggers
Triggers are probably the most powerful habit- building
tools. I used a trigger to get back in the routine of working out at
the gym. You see, during the school year, I follow the same rou-
tine every single school day: wake up, do my morning routine,
wake the kids, get ready, say good- bye to my oldest as she waits
for her carpool, take the carpool kids to one school, and then
drop my son off at his school. Rinse, wash, repeat. Same every
morning. We almost have it all down to a science. It’s a habit.
It’s been a few years since I’ve consistently gone to the gym,
and as much as I like running and working out at home, I
know that I push myself harder and can be more consistent at
the gym because weather doesn’t impact my workout.