Adopting a healthy habit is hard.
Motivation is fleeting.
One of the best hacks for behavior change is habit stacking. I coach clients on this, and had to use it on myself.
All week I’ve been telling myself to run after kids go to school. Doesn’t happen. Also, running in my neighborhood has no appeal. Beauty is a big reward for me. (Habits stick when there’s a reward).
With the time change, I realized I can run to the sunrise after the school bus scoops up my daughter in West Annapolis.
And there’s the habit stack.
Wake up. Put on running clothes. Drive to bus stop. Run over Navy bridge as the sun is rising over the Chesapeake Bay.
Might have cried. It was beautiful. I've been running consistently ever since.
If you’re trying to get a new habit to stick, think about where you can slide it into your daily routine and how to build in a reward.
If you'd like to learn more habit sticking strategies, I highly recommend Atomic Habits by James Clear. It will change your life.
