Plan Ahead
Planning ahead is the trick to not getting thrown off by unfamiliar situations.
Because there are so many variables that can affect our ability to stick with new behaviors, planning ahead is the best way to build up the consistency we need for the habit to stick.
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Exercising regularly is for many people a keystone habit because when they do it, they also make healthier eating and life choices and procrastinate less.
Other keystone habits include: meditation, reading, writing and socialising. They provide a nice foundation for a healthy life in all domains
Do the minimum you can and be consistent in your behavior.
To create a new habit, you must first simplify the behavior. A good tiny behavior is easy to do — and fast.
Look for behaviors that have a ripple effect, and change your other behaviors without extra effort.
Also, pay attention to how you see yourself when you do a particular habit: Does it change your self-image? Do you feel better when you think of yourself as a person?
They tend to have ripple effects which change your behavior in unexpected ways.
The power of a keystone habit draws from its ability to set off a chain reaction that causes other patterns to change as well.
To make any habit stick in the long-term (keystone or not), do it regularly.
The more often you do the habit, the more you'll get used to it, and eventually, you'll do it without thinking—the definition of a habit.
It helps to know how often you’re succeeding (or not). Use whatever works for you: pen and paper of habit tracking apps.
A simple way to keep track of your progress is to mark each day you complete your habit on a calendar.
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Charles Duhigg, author of "The Power of Habit ," calls these "keystone habits." They are habits that automatically lead to multiple positive behaviors and positive effects in your life. For example, regular exercise often goes hand-in-hand with better eating habits.
These are the habits that, once implemented, have a positive impact on many other facets of your life.
Their effect is similar to a domino: all you need to do is perform this one habit and you’ll see the benefits ripple out.
Keystone habits lead to the development of multiple good habits.
Exercise is a good example of this. Once you start to change your exercise habits, it sets off a chain reaction that changes other habits as well: you start feeling good about your body, you eat healthy foods, you procrastinate less, etc.
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