One simple trick that makes habit formation easier
This post contains no mention of Atomic Habits by James Clear — I promise.
If you’re someone who struggles with implementing habits then give this a go.
All you need is your phone.
Note: this is for time-bound habits only ie. habits that you want to do at a specific time of the day. For habits that can be done at any time of the day, you’d be better off setting reminders.
On your phone, create an alarm for your habit and give it a name in the form of an action you want to take. For example, if you want to start a journalling habit you could call it ‘Journal for 15 minutes’. You can also add an emoji to make it more fun if that’s your thing! 📝
Now choose the time and repeating schedule you want. For example, every morning at 8am.
Next time the alarm goes off, commit to doing the habit.
The only thing you need to make this a success is the commitment to obeying the alarm.
What to do if you keep ignoring the alarm
If you keep the alarm set and ignore it every time then you are programming your brain to associate alarms as something to ignore and dismiss. This will make using this method harder as you’ll not only be trying to implement a new habit but also having to rewire your brain to not ignore the alarm you’ve set.
So, if you notice yourself ignoring the alarm day after day then I recommend disabling it and journalling about why this might be and what you need to be able to action this habit. Maybe it’s setting it at a different time, maybe it’s making the habit easier to do — you’ll know what it is that you need.
