As summer starts to fade and autumn approaches, it is tempting to think about making changes in your life. However, trying to focus on multiple goals at once can be energy-draining. Rather than setting scattered goals, focus on building habits that will form the foundation for achieving your goals.
Understand what you’re doing and why.
While goal setting is fun and aspirational, habit building involves understanding how your life and brain function. Focus on improving your life by developing a strategy to reach your goals.
Identify the goals you want to achieve, like paying off debt or building your emergency fund, and turn them into actionable habits using the Three R’s – reminder, routine, and reward.
The Three R’s
Reminder: Trigger that starts a behavior, like getting out of bed to brush your teeth.
Routine: Daily activity, like brushing your teeth.
Reward: Benefit from the routine, such as fresh breath and healthy teeth.
Identifying the Three R’s of a habit helps in creating new patterns or breaking unhelpful habits. For instance, for saving more, set a reminder to transfer a percentage of each deposit into savings.
Consider context and focus on one habit at a time to increase chances of success. Remember, slow and steady progress is key in building lifelong habits.
Don’t ignore your context.
Success is unique to each individual, so focus on habits that work for you. Consider your lifestyle when building habits, like finding unconventional ways to pay off debt.
Focus on one thing at a time.
Accomplishing one goal at a time reduces stress and increases focus. Work on one habit at a time for a defined period to build a sustainable routine.
Slow and steady.
Take your time in building habits and avoid burnout. Celebrate progress and focus on creating lasting habits for a prosperous new year.
