The 5 essential components of building a new habit, inspired by Michael Bungay Stanier.
5 Essential Components:
1) A Reason – A Purpose – Creating the Motivation
Make a vow, not only to yourself but also a vow that serves others. May your vow help a person or people you care about most… Find the strongest reason possible to add a new habit into your life.
2) Figure Your Trigger – Find the Root
Find the trigger of your old habit; the very moment when your old habit is about to set in or comes to mind. If you can narrow down the exact trigger and moment when your old habit comes - before you act - you can prevent the old action. Best way to get rid of a weed is to pull it from its root.
3) A Micro Habit
Make your new habit take less and 60 seconds to complete.
4) Practice Deeply
Break down your new habit into the smallest possible bits, such that you can more deeply understand the habit your instilling. By doing this you’ll also ensure that you’ll repeat each part of your new habit in every possible way. This can be preserved as an adventure.
Celebrate your success in practice.
5) A Plan to Get Back on Track
Create a resilience system to recover when you fall off the wagon. Expect that it will happen so you’re not so disappointed. Have a plan in place for what you are going to tell yourself, how you are going to supportively ensure that trying again is in good humor, high spirits and with fun!
Reference credits for all ideas given above to Michael Bungay Stainier in his book 'The Coaching Habit'. A simple and easy to read guide that is dedicated to making questioning and inquiry a habit in everyone's life.
Stanier, Michael Bungay. The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever. Box of Crayons Press, 2016.