“Don’t wait until tomorrow, it’s not real. There’s only now, and right now I need you to believe in yourself more than I believe in you. “— R.M. Drake

We all have deep desires to improve our lives. As we gain experience we instinctively look to improve areas where we underperform or seek knowledge from new places.

Many people who I’ve come across look to improve their health or wish to learn something new. Do you want to start running? How about waking up earlier? Maybe learn how to play the piano, code in a new language, or design in a new style? These things are clearly achievable, but many people fail to consistently put in the effort required to bring such a goal into their daily ritual. Why is that?

A New Habit

Early 2013 I decided to begin going to the gym every morning. I’ve realized over the years that I feel much better after working out and one workout that I enjoy, in particular, is running. I have a strong desire to be a very good runner, and, at the same time, I feel that the gym would help improve my ability to run further and faster. So I added both tasks to my morning routine. I would wake up, eat a light snack, and hit the gym. The only problem was that it didn’t last.

Mid 2013, I fell off track. I was no longer going to the gym. I continued to run, but eventually fell off the track late 2013. Despite my effort to revitalize my desire, by including these goals in my new years resolutions list, I was no longer running or going to the gym.

I bring this up because I spent over 6 months consistently working on a habit and it fell to the side fairly easily. Today, I’m back at it and have challenged myself in order to keep it up. Upon reflection, my mindset was the culprit last year.

A Mind Game

Life is a whirlwind of stacked obligations, job requirements, kids, meal planning, finance problems, continuing education—the list goes on. Our minds are constantly on the go. For me, I was coming off of my last startup and I could hardly think about running or the gym. All I could think about was reflecting on what went right/wrong, what product I would begin working on next, and how I would meet the financial obligations on my plate.

Again, despite my effort, I failed to keep up a new daily habit. Our minds can overrule any desire we may have in an instant.

I’ll go tomorrow

I’m tired

I don’t have time

I’d rather work

It’s very important that you think about what comes across your mind when building a new habit. Mind games (from others, and self-inflicted) is something I faced on a regular basis when I was in the USMC, so I have much more awareness on how easily our minds can dream up the worst case scenario or play a game of excuses. That said, even I’ve fallen and I consider myself an extremely adaptable individual.

Don’t think of this as an easy on/off switch. Forming a daily habit is not easy, but it can be incredibly rewarding.

The Reward

At a certain point your daily habit will show rewarding signs so long as you focus and commit yourself to change. You’re going to get faster and stronger. You’re going to learn how to do something you didn’t know how to do before. You’re going to feel more energized, motivated, and inspired.

I need to stress that none of this will matter if it isn’t something you really want. I don’t mean kinda-sorta want, I mean really want.

While I wasn’t creating a new habit, I was axing off one. In 2013 I created the goal to stop drinking soda. I can hapily report that I have not gone back.

So if you have something that you really want to add into your life, how do you get there?

5 Tips for Forming a Daily Habit

“You must not only aim right, but draw the bow with all your might.” — Henry David Thoreau

You must not just aim yourself in the right direction, but you need to throw your full weight behind the effort in order to move your mind forward. In my case, I knew where I wanted to go, but my motivation failed me. Lack of motivation hurts almost everyone trying to build a new habit and, right now, I’m determined to learn and correct that.

Based on my own experiences, here are a few things to think about.

Commit to the new habit by practicing it on a daily basis. The moment you introduce an excuse like, “it’s the weekend,” you’ve become weakened. Just because you perform the habit on a daily basis doesn’t mean you have to put 100% energy into it. Adapt as you see fit, but chisel away on your new habit on a daily basis. If you’re doing something you enjoy this shouldn’t be a problem. Building a habit with a friend or partner can be infinitely more helpful. Having someone to keep you honest and push you is extremely valuable. On the flip-side, don’t fall into the trap of one person talking the other person out of it. Me: “I don’t really want to go today.” You: “OK! Sounds good to me.” Be very afraid of your brains ability to crush what you’re attempting. You may very well be tired, so don’t perform the task at 100%—perform it at 25%. The key is that you’re working to embed the new process into your life. Don’t lose sight of what you really want. Keep the progress visible. Try keeping a counter on your fridge. Write about your progress in a journal. Join a community and talk about or show off your progress. Take a 60 day challenge. 60 straight days practicing your new habit.

60-Day Challenge

“Discipline is just choosing between what you want now and what you want most.”

I want to help build a new habit into your life. Right now I’m in the middle of a 60 day challenge. Join me. Let’s do this together.

Send me an e-mail and share what you’re going to do Include your Twitter handle so I can share some love and feel free to follow me

I can’t provide a cash prize or anything, but even better. If all goes well you will have rewarded yourself with a new habit you’ve always wanted.

Stay motivated!