Playlist: Habits

I’m trying something a little new today! This fall, the Before Breakfast podcast will celebrate its 2000th unique episode. (We started running repeat “Second Cup” episodes on weekends, so the online counter is higher than that, but I’ve been keeping track.)

It is possible that busy people may have missed some past episodes. So I’m running a few “playlists” on different topics that people might want to check out. Today’s topic: habits! As we’re all getting started on our new routines this fall, these episodes might offer food for thought. Most are between 4-5 minutes long (some of these have ads at the beginning, some don’t).

Also, if you’re looking to improve your time habits, please sign up for my free September Reset Time Tracking Challenge running from Sept 14-20. Information here.

BB Playlist: Habits

So much of what we do is governed by our habits. Building smart habits can help us move steadily toward our goals. This playlist offers tips for forming new habits–and sticking with those habits, even when it would be easy to quit. I also suggest some mindset shifts that can make it easier to form new habits.

Start by starting. Forming a new good habit doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Decide on who you want to be and where you want to go, and start a small habit that helps take you there.

How often rather than how much. Frequency matters more than intensity for building habits. If you focus on how often, how much may take care of itself.

Ten minutes still counts. Make your habit so small that you won’t resist doing it. Then you can scale up once the habit is formed.

Just get to three. Often can be more doable than always. It’s liberating to decide that three times a week is a habit. Suddenly, new habits seem a lot more doable!

Pair little tasks. Build a new habit by pairing it with an existing habit you won’t forget.

You can always quit tomorrow. If you want to quit, just stick with your habit one more day. You can quit tomorrow if you still want to. But who knows — with one more chance to figure out how to make the habit work and one more day of momentum, you may find you want to keep going.

Try identity-based habits. Think about the type of person you’d like to be. It’s much easier to form a habit when you have a clear vision for who it will help you become.

Embrace temporary habits. The weather changes, schedules change, life changes. You don’t need to do something forever to reap the benefits. You can embrace a habit for now, even if it won’t work forever.

Photo: Before Breakfast onesie! The show is older than this little dude, who started first grade yesterday.