How to make a habit of anything - Part 1

Do not underestimate the magnitude of effort

How often do we say we are going to change this or that about our life? I want to start exercising, I want to eat better, I want to lose weight (it is an outcome, not an input but we will talk about that later), I want to read more, I want to write more, I want to be a more patient parent, I want to mend relationships with my family. 

We say all these things and assume that these are commitments. We make half assed attempts to make changes. Two things happen as a result - we don't see the results we expect to see, and/or we begin to see ourselves as failures for not following through on our commitment. In either case it sets off a vicious cycle where you are no longer motivated about the change.

There is some benefit to not overthinking. Sometimes you need a little push if you've been waiting far too long for the perfect time or the perfect circumstances. I have seen several instances in myself and others where we overthink ourselves to the point of inaction. However. However, there are an equal number of instances where we do not give serious enough consideration to what it takes to make the change.

Change is messy, change is hard. The natural need for homeostasis is strong. When moved out of a certain state, the forces that pull you toward that original state are powerful. The draw of the familiar is too strong to resist.  To withstand the pressure of those forces and to make the change requires a certain fortitude. For one to build that fortitude, there must first be the acknowledgement that the change you are asking for is hard. 

When you acknowledge that there is effort involved, not merely willpower, you will also want to size the magnitude. And commit not just to the change, but to the magnitude of the effort involved in making the change.  

Part 2 - Know that it will be hard