Both are powerful enough to create initial momentum in your life. But none of them are strong enough to keep the momentum running for transformable change.

Sometimes, the spark works against us when we try to skip the journey and want fast results. We start with level 10 habits instead of level 1 because of the initial rush of motivation.

In such cases, we soon burnout and go back to our past lives. To avoid these situations, practice patience. Use the spark to get started but don’t use it to try to skip the process of transformation.

Stage 2: Daily Actions

The spark is the sexy part. It puts you in a peak state and you get a rush of motivation right away.

The small daily actions are the difficult pieces of the puzzle. At first, the spark helps you to do the daily actions. But soon, the spark fades away.

When the spark is gone, the daily actions may feel like hell. At this stage, you can use your willpower reserves.

Keep willpower and energy saved in your reserves for the daily actions you need to create the change in your life. Don’t waste your decision-making power on other useless activities so you can use it later when you need it the most.

But don’t worry, you only need willpower for few days until you reach the next stages. So, keep going even when you don’t feel like it.

Use reminders and triggers to stay on track. But don’t just remind yourself of the actions you must take. Keep reminding yourself of the deep reason you’re doing what you’re doing.

Set the stakes high by giving consequences to your actions using reward or punishment rules. Adjust the difficulty of the tasks if you have to but don’t quit at this point. A beautiful transformation is coming your way.

Stage 3: Environment Shift

This is the stage where most people quit and it’s not their fault. They don’t even know why they fail. They blame themselves for not being strong enough but in reality, they only needed a few tweaks to make it easier for them to sustain new behaviors.

First, you must change your environment. Your environment should support your growth and not derail you from the daily actions.

Make it harder for yourself to perform the destructive tasks. Take willpower out of the equation by crossing out your options. For example, if we had the choice between watching Netflix or practicing a new skill, we’d probably choose Netflix because it’s easy and comforting.

There is nothing wrong with watching Netflix but it should not come in the way of your transformation. Your downtime should be intentional and not based on impulse based actions.

To make sure you watch Netflix only when you intend to, log out from the website every time you’re done watching. Keep it blocked (using browser extensions) during the times of performing your daily actions.

In the same way, you can make it easier for yourself to do the new task. Let’s say you want to learn to play an instrument. Keep it in the sight and within your reach. Don’t pack it every time you’re done playing it. This way, you can use any free time to practice for a few minutes.

Next, comes your social environment. People around you change the way you think and live. If the people you see in your life don’t support you, there are high chances of you falling back to your past lifestyle.

Raise the standards of your social environment by keeping strict policy of who you spend your time with. Consciously or unconsciously, they impact your mind in positive or negative ways. If you have to spend time with such people for some reasons, then be cautious of their presence. Try not to let them affect you as much.

It’s a good idea to join a community of like-minded people who are following a similar journey as you. You will get support and hear other’s struggles so you can support them as well. When you get to discuss and express yourself, you feel connected and stay focused to keep going through the change.

The last thing you need to set your environment for success is accountability. Some require personal accountability while others may need social accountability.