For most of us, there are certain things which we find easy and other things which we find difficult.
Life gets in the way, and those changes we’re trying to put into place gradually fall away until we remember them again!
I’m no exception. There are always lessons I’m re-learning and which I try to make a point of remembering.
Right now, I seem to continually forget how much better I feel the next day when I get to sleep by 10pm, and also, I’ll drink tea until it comes out my ears, but I rarely drink enough water during the day.
And so, I’m working on improving these things.
How do I remember them?
I read once about the power of simple accountability, I can’t remember where now. The author explained that he had a friend call him at a set time each evening to ask whether he had completed whatever action it was that day. This 10 second phone call was enough to make him want to avoid embarrassment, and kept the action in the front of the authors mind.
Perhaps you don’t want to trouble a friend with this task, but I’ve always found it effective to make a note of whatever it is I’m trying to make routine. I’ll write it at the top of my diary for each day of the week, and I’ll pop a tick or cross next to it at the end of every day. That’s it. You could put a note on the fridge or by your bed, or even on your phone – wherever you already look at the end of the day.
I find it takes just a week or two to become really consistent with the new action.
I’d love to hear whether you find this little trick useful?