How can I get into a habit?

Question

This is mostly for exercising and tidying things up but it would be useful if you could give tips for things in general.

Answer 1

Create a discriminative stimulus that prompts you to emit the new habit such as walking through a door at a certain time of the day.

So each morning when you leave the bathroom and open the door you will immediately pick up an item and put it in its place. If this is trivial, increase the size of the task to two items or making your bed. (Too hard, just straighten your pillows to start.)

When you want to do your exercises, pick a special time like getting ready for bed, and do a push up or something after you open your dresser to get your pjs or something... Start with a trivial number of reps you know you can easily execute every time. Only when it's routine should you add to the tasks.

I found it better to set the task requirements low and to exceed them than to miss a task because I'm not ready to do it.

Answer 2

scientist say it take about 21 days or something to make anything into a habit.

so keep tidying until its automatic for u

Answer 3

While you are doing things, put music on and time will fly right by or you can do things like excercising with friends ;-]

Answer 4

make it fun without sounding cheesy. exercise to music or join a sports club and if your tidying turn on your ipod or have you friend on speaker on the phone or something. Dont make it into a chore just integrate it into your life.

Answer 5

Just do it, you lazy so-and-so.

Answer 6

borrow one off a nun.

Answer 7

Try writing down a schedule of times to accomplish things you're trying to get in the habit of.  If you know you exercise best in the morning, set aside from X-time to Y-time to do that, then make sure you commit yourself to it.  Tell yourself, "No Excuses!"  After eating dinner, make sure you make yourself take the dishes off the table and put them in the dishwasher, or wash them if need be, before you allow yourself to do something fun or relaxing.

It isn't always easy to start a new routine, but I find that if I see it in writing, it keeps me honest.  Good luck!

Answer 8

If you do something every day, it will become a habit. That's the only way to develop a habit really.