Start
The new year is upon us. I hope you are well-rested and ready for the year ahead. In the last two years, we have learnt to live with uncertainty. For many of us, it is still difficult to do so. Our resilience has definitely increased and we have had a chance to rethink many aspects of our lives. We have also said goodbye to loved ones and seen much suffering around us.
A new year brings about a new start and opportunity. Some examples of the traps that stop you from changing and the antidotes that help are listed below.
Not Getting Started → Start with a blank slate.
Short Term Thinking → Treat change as continuous effort rather than a one-time event.
Impulsivity → Temptation Bundling - Combing an existing habit with a new habit.
Procrastination → Create Commitment Devices that constrain our ability to prioritise short term pleasure over long term goals.
Forgetfulness → Create Cue Based Plans - “When …. happens, I’ll do …”
Laziness → Too much rigidity is the enemy of a good habit. Instead, build flexibility into your habits.
Confidence → Teach others. Find people who are also on the journey to implement similar changes.
Conformity → Watch peers who have managed to achieve whatever goal you hope to achieve and then copy and paste their methods.
Interested in finding out more about how we change? Read Katy Milkman’s book so well summarised by Toby Sinclair.
Wishing you all the best for the year ahead.