building consistent habits: August Theme of the month 2021

This month we are focusing on consistency. Consistency is a trait that most successful people carry. They often engage in consistent habits or activities that allow them to be able to compound their learning and growth into monumental changes. Our goal is to identify some of those habits that may also allow us to find success in our lives.

First I'd like you to think about what kind of person you want to be or what traits you would like to emulate: do you want to be more fit, more knowledgeable, ambitious, goal-orientated, mindful. Then start to think about what type of habits you would need to engage in on a consistent basis to get closer to these traits. From here write down 3-5 daily habits you would like to establish over the next month. Keep in mind that most successful habits can be challenging but should be simple to accomplish. Self-efficacy refers to an individual's belief in his or her capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments. If you pick something outside of your perceived self-efficacy then you are more likely to avoid that behavior. If you pick something within your perceived self-efficacy you are more likely to follow through, feel accomplished, and want to continue that habit and build additional habits on top.

Once you have decided the habits you would like to work on plan, plan and plan some more. The more vivid a goal the more likely it is to happen. We are also looking for the path of least resistance, what is most realistic and going to help you be the most successful. When are you most likely to do this habit? Where? What materials will you need, etc. And you can use tools to heighten your chances of success like using a habit tracking app, setting reminders on your phone, or engaging in "habit stacking" which is when you attach a new habit you would like to perform with one that has already been established (i.e. set your vitamin bottle next to your tooth brush so that you take your vitamin after you brush your teeth.)

Remember that the goal is consistency so if you find that one of your chosen habits is not practical or applicable try something else. These habits should be things that can stick long term so that you can receive the most benefit from the practice. A couple of great resources could include: "Atomic Habits" - James Clear & "The Power of Habit" - Charles Duhigg.