Motivation and Willpower Are Not Enough
Photo Credit: Haley Peterson Photos
Here we are. It’s a New Year and perhaps you find yourself extremely motivated to make some healthy lifestyle changes. The question is: Why do so many people fail in following through with their New Year’s intentions? And more importantly: What makes people successful?
One of the main challenges is that people rely on motivation and willpower alone.
The problem is that is not enough to make a change. Willpower takes energy which has its limits. In fact, we need this energy for other things—like dealing with the stressors of our lives. According to habits expert, Wendy Wood, Ph.D., “exerting control is inherently draining, making us feel tired, stressed, and overwhelmed…we can react only to a few things simultaneously, and when controlling one thing, we necessarily overlook others that could be important.”
So, the key is to tap into other ways to help us be successful, beyond motivation and willpower alone.
There are a lot of different perspectives out there on habit formation, but there are few commonalities that stand out to help you be successful.
Start small. It’s easy to feel very motivated initially and set a goal that is too big. Choose something small and manageable. Build confidence with small wins and increase your goal when you gain momentum. Lacking focus? Check out this intention setting practice on YouTube.
Anchor the new habit onto an existing one. Use the momentum of something that you already do regularly, like brushing your teeth, and perform the new habit after the existing one. For example, do a 1 to 5 minute meditation immediately after you brush your teeth.
Think easy and accessible. Our environment impacts our behavior. It will be very challenging to eat healthy, if you don’t have any healthy food in the house. Set yourself up for success by making sure that you have the things that you need easily accessible.
On the flip side, if you are trying to avoid something (treats, alcohol, or cigarettes, etc.) make sure you DON’T have them in the house.
Make it feel good. Reinforce the habit by doing something that feels good within minutes of doing the new behavior. Do a happy dance. Smile. Hug yourself. Share with a friend. Feeling good feels good and you want to do it more.
I’m excited to share more about habit formation as I continue my learning journey by becoming a Tiny Habits Certified Coach. Stay tuned! Wishing you well-being and ease.