Tips and tricks to making good habits stick

By Joseph Gonzalez

Like everyone else, your new year’s resolution was getting a gym membership, and sticking with it. With your daily commute to the city, and two kids at home, you struggle to even find the energy to walk on that treadmill in the guest room that’s gathering dust. So what’s the trick to making a new habit sustainable?

Baby steps: The first step in making new habits sustainable

If you want to start a new habit, you should consider the factors that would get in the way. What’s stopping you from starting it? And what can you do to change that? The fact is that if you want to start a new habit, you’re most likely willing enough to find alternative methods for it.

For starters, Tiny Habits is a program for those who desire to start a new habit. As with anything new, creator BJ Fogg stressed that baby steps are essential. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your new habit won’t be either. Classes that help you make new habits sustainable are available at TinyHabitsAcademy.org. . Don’t worry about jumping right into it; as long as you’re putting the effort in, Fogg said that’s all that matters.

You can also choose from the Habit Books List, a list by author Steve Scott that can provide you with multiple sources on sticking to a new habit. One book in particular, “Habit Stacking,” provides a checklist to keep track of ongoing progress. Many of these books are also available in audio form, which gives way for multi-tasking during your hectic day.

Work new habits smarter, not harder

Don’t be afraid to incorporate other daily activities in order to make time for your top priority one. Take the bus to work? Catch up on your favorite shows or podcasts during the commute. You may not realize it, but that extra time made adds up and can benefit you immensely.

The first few times are always the hardest. But once you get into the swing of things, your new habit will feel more of a necessary part of your day rather than a chore.