<ol><li>Be consistent </li><li>Make it a part of your identity</li><li>Identify the cues which trigger your habit</li><li>Make it easy, make it attractive</li><li>Reward yourself </li></ol>A cue could be a specific time at which you start your habit or a particular location at which you perform your habit, etc.Make it so easy, you can't say noIf you miss, get back on track quicklyDon't forget to track your habits, for further improvements!!

Make a Habit in 5 Simple Steps

<div>On this page</div>Before we get into the guide, I want to recommend the most comprehensive guide on how to change your habits and get 1% better every day: My new book&nbsp;<a href="http://atomichabits.com/" dir="ltr">Atomic Habits</a>.&nbsp;Packed with evidence-based self-improvement strategies,&nbsp;Atomic Habits&nbsp;will teach you how to make the small changes that will transform your habits and deliver remarkable results.<figure><img width="730" height="944" src="https://jamesclear.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/AtomicHabits_1book.png" alt="" srcset="https://jamesclear.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/AtomicHabits_1book.png 1387w, https://jamesclear.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/AtomicHabits_1book-928x1200.png 928w, https://jamesclear.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/AtomicHabits_1book-768x993.png 768w"></figure>Atomic Habits&nbsp;will reshape the way you think about progress and success and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits—whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, and achieve success that lasts.Want to get Chapter 1 of Atomic Habits for free?&nbsp;Just enter your email address below.<div data-element="fields" data-stacked="false"><button data-element="submit">DOWNLOAD THE FREE CHAPTER</button></div>Let's get to the habits guide…<h2>What Are Habits?</h2>Let's define habits. Habits are the small decisions you make and actions you perform every day. According to researchers at Duke University, habits account for about 40 percent of our behaviors on any given day.&nbsp;Your life today is essentially the sum of your habits.&nbsp;How in shape or out of shape you are? A result of your habits. How happy or unhappy you are? A result of your habits. How successful or unsuccessful you are? A result of your habits. What you repeatedly do (i.e. what you spend time thinking about and doing each day) ultimately forms the person you are, the things you believe, and the personality that you portray.&nbsp;Everything I write about – from <a href="https://jamesclear.com/procrastination" dir="ltr">procrastination</a> and <a href="https://jamesclear.com/productivity" dir="ltr">productivity</a> to <a href="https://jamesclear.com/strength-training" dir="ltr">strength</a> and <a href="https://jamesclear.com/eat-healthy" dir="ltr">nutrition</a> – starts with better habits. When you learn to transform your habits, you can transform your life.This page includes recommended resources on forming better habits and breaking bad ones in any area of life, but if you'd like to explore information on specific types of habits, check out these articles:<h2>3 Ways to Form Better Habits</h2><OL><LI><a title="How to Build a New Habit: This is Your Strategy Guide" href="https://jamesclear.com/habit-guide" dir="ltr">How to Build a New Habit: This is Your Strategy Guide</a>:&nbsp;Read this guide right now to learn 5 easy, powerful strategies for changing habits.</LI><LI><a href="https://jamesclear.com/three-steps-habit-change" dir="ltr">The 3 R’s of Habit Change: How To Start New Habits That Actually Stick</a>: &nbsp;Every habit you have — good or bad — follows the same 3–step pattern: Reminder (the trigger that initiates the behavior), routine (the behavior itself; the action you take), and reward (the benefit you gain from doing the behavior). This helpful framework can make it easier to stick to new habits so that you can improve your health, your work, and your life in general.</LI><LI><a title="Identity-Based Habits: How to Actually Stick to Your Goals This Year" href="https://jamesclear.com/identity-based-habits" dir="ltr">Identity-Based Habits: How to Actually Stick to Your Goals This Year</a>:&nbsp;Most of the time we set our goals in the wrong way. Read this article to learn how identity-based habits can help you achieve your goals more easily.</LI></OL><h2>3 Ways to Break Bad Habits</h2><OL><LI><a title="How to Break a Bad Habit and Replace It With a Good One" href="https://jamesclear.com/how-to-break-a-bad-habit" dir="ltr">How to Break a Bad Habit and Replace It With a Good One</a>:&nbsp;Want to learn how to break a bad habit? Read this article to discover the science of breaking bad habits and practical suggestions for making it happen.</LI><LI><a title="How Vietnam War Veterans Broke Their Heroin Addictions" href="https://jamesclear.com/heroin-habits" dir="ltr">How Vietnam War Veterans Broke Their Heroin Addictions</a>:&nbsp;By simply removing yourself from an environment that triggers all of your old habits, you can make it easier to break bad habits and build new ones.</LI><LI><a title="How to Declutter Your Mind and Unleash Your Willpower by Using “Bright-Line” Rules" href="https://jamesclear.com/bright-lines" dir="ltr">How to Declutter Your Mind and Unleash Your Willpower by Using “Bright-Line” Rules</a>: &nbsp;A bright-line rule refers to a clearly defined rule or standard. It is a rule with clear interpretation and very little wiggle room. It establishes a bright line for what the rule is saying and what it is not saying.&nbsp;Most of us could benefit from setting brighter lines in our personal and professional lives.</LI></OL><h2>How to Make a Habit Stick</h2><UL><LI><a href="https://jamesclear.com/plan-for-chaos" dir="ltr">How to Stick to Your Goals When Life Gets Crazy</a>:&nbsp;Having a bad day is just one of the tiny emergencies that prevents most people from sticking to their goals and habits. It doesn't have to be that way, though.</LI><LI><a href="https://jamesclear.com/paper-clips" dir="ltr">How to Stick With Good Habits Every Day by Using the “Paper Clip Strategy”</a>:&nbsp;Why do some good habits stick while others fail? Read this article about a strategy you use to stick with good habits every day.</LI></UL><h2>How to Build Habits That Last and Design Life as You Want It</h2>Want to learn everything you need to build better habits and break bad ones? I recommend the Habits Academy.The Habits Academy is the world's most comprehensive course on habits and the science of human behavior. More than 5,000 students have taken the course. Over 40 video lessons are available to Habits Academy students.Want more great books on psychology and self-help? Browse my&nbsp;full list of the&nbsp;<a href="https://jamesclear.com/best-books/psychology" dir="ltr">best psychology books</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://jamesclear.com/best-books/self-help" dir="ltr">best self-help books</a>.<h2>All Habits Articles</h2>This is a complete list of articles I have written on habits. Enjoy!

It's so simple, only if you are willing to do it

How do habits work? How do you change your habits? How do you hold yourself accountable? This complete habits guide contains everything you need to know.

Before we get into the guide, I want to recommend the most comprehensive guide on how to change your habits and get 1% better every day: My new book <a href="http://atomichabits.com/">Atomic Habits </a>.

Packed with evidence-based self-improvement strategies, Atomic Habits  will teach you how to make the small changes that will transform your habits and deliver remarkable results.

Atomic Habits  will reshape the way you think about progress and success and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits—whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, and achieve success that lasts.

Want to get Chapter 1 of Atomic Habits for free?  Just enter your email address below.

Let's define habits. Habits are the small decisions you make and actions you perform every day. According to researchers at Duke University, habits account for about 40 percent of our behaviors on any given day.

Your life today is essentially the sum of your habits.  How in shape or out of shape you are? A result of your habits. How happy or unhappy you are? A result of your habits. How successful or unsuccessful you are? A result of your habits.

What you repeatedly do (i.e. what you spend time thinking about and doing each day) ultimately forms the person you are, the things you believe, and the personality that you portray.  Everything I write about – from <a href="https://jamesclear.com/procrastination">procrastination </a>and <a href="https://jamesclear.com/productivity">productivity </a>to <a href="https://jamesclear.com/strength-training">strength </a>and <a href="https://jamesclear.com/eat-healthy">nutrition </a>– starts with better habits. When you learn to transform your habits, you can transform your life.

This page includes recommended resources on forming better habits and breaking bad ones in any area of life, but if you'd like to explore information on specific types of habits, check out these articles:

<ol><li><a href="https://jamesclear.com/habit-guide">How to Build a New Habit: This is Your Strategy Guide </a>: Read this guide right now to learn 5 easy, powerful strategies for changing habits. </li><li><a href="https://jamesclear.com/three-steps-habit-change">The 3 R’s of Habit Change: How To Start New Habits That Actually Stick </a>:  Every habit you have — good or bad — follows the same 3–step pattern: Reminder (the trigger that initiates the behavior), routine (the behavior itself; the action you take), and reward (the benefit you gain from doing the behavior). This helpful framework can make it easier to stick to new habits so that you can improve your health, your work, and your life in general. </li><li><a href="https://jamesclear.com/identity-based-habits">Identity-Based Habits: How to Actually Stick to Your Goals This Year </a>: Most of the time we set our goals in the wrong way. Read this article to learn how identity-based habits can help you achieve your goals more easily. </li> </ol>

<ol><li><a href="https://jamesclear.com/how-to-break-a-bad-habit">How to Break a Bad Habit and Replace It With a Good One </a>: Want to learn how to break a bad habit? Read this article to discover the science of breaking bad habits and practical suggestions for making it happen. </li><li><a href="https://jamesclear.com/heroin-habits">How Vietnam War Veterans Broke Their Heroin Addictions </a>: By simply removing yourself from an environment that triggers all of your old habits, you can make it easier to break bad habits and build new ones. </li><li><a href="https://jamesclear.com/bright-lines">How to Declutter Your Mind and Unleash Your Willpower by Using “Bright-Line” Rules </a>:  A bright-line rule refers to a clearly defined rule or standard. It is a rule with clear interpretation and very little wiggle room. It establishes a bright line for what the rule is saying and what it is not saying. Most of us could benefit from setting brighter lines in our personal and professional lives. </li> </ol>

<ul><li><a href="https://jamesclear.com/plan-for-chaos">How to Stick to Your Goals When Life Gets Crazy </a>: Having a bad day is just one of the tiny emergencies that prevents most people from sticking to their goals and habits. It doesn't have to be that way, though. </li><li><a href="https://jamesclear.com/paper-clips">How to Stick With Good Habits Every Day by Using the “Paper Clip Strategy” </a>: Why do some good habits stick while others fail? Read this article about a strategy you use to stick with good habits every day. </li> </ul>

How to Build Habits That Last and Design Life as You Want It

Want to learn everything you need to build better habits and break bad ones? I recommend the Habits Academy.

The Habits Academy is the world's most comprehensive course on habits and the science of human behavior. More than 5,000 students have taken the course. Over 40 video lessons are available to Habits Academy students.

Want more great books on psychology and self-help? Browse my full list of the <a href="https://jamesclear.com/best-books/psychology">best psychology books </a> and <a href="https://jamesclear.com/best-books/self-help">best self-help books </a>.

This is a complete list of articles I have written on habits. Enjoy!

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career

The Habits Guide: How to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones

Make a Habit in 5 Simple Steps

IDEAS ABOUT

MORE LIKE THIS

The Guide to Habits

How to Build New Habits: This is Your Strategy Guide

How to Break a Bad Habit (and Replace It With a Good One)

It's time to

READ

LIKE

A PRO!

Bite-sized knowledgeto upgradeyour career

The Habits Guide: How to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones

Make a Habit in 5 Simple Steps

IDEAS ABOUT

MORE LIKE THIS

The Guide to Habits

How to Build New Habits: This is Your Strategy Guide

How to Break a Bad Habit (and Replace It With a Good One)

It's time to

READ

LIKE

A PRO!

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career