How to Create a New Habit or Change an Old Habit?

How to Create a New Habit or Change an Old Habit?

Yesterday, I completed my 300th run out of 365, running 10 km every day for under 60 minutes for the past 10 months. It seems like I may have developed a new habit, but I can't be 100% sure until I reach my final goal. After today's run, I have 64 more runs to go, which is roughly 2 months. Additionally, I am also raising money for the Sports Access Foundation .

Comparing Practice to Theory

After reading the first chapter of "The Coaching Habit - Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever" by ?? Michael Bungay Stanier , I reflected on my journey against the suggested new habit formula:

What was the reason?

• To stay healthy and fit while achieving a sense of accomplishment and pride.
• To act as a role model for my children.
• To inspire others, such as my friends, family, and the players in the soccer team that I volunteer to coach.
• To raise funds for a meaningful cause.

What was the trigger?

Last year, my daughter, who falls under the autism spectrum disorder, was rejected by a leading NPL club, while three other clubs offered her a position in their diamond league teams after trials. At the time, I felt the rejection was biased and an injustice. This was the trigger for me to find a meaningful purpose for the new habit, which was to support a cause that helps children like my daughter. Since then, I’ve reflected on the situation and understand that the other reason for rejection may be due to lack of required skills to be part of the team. Rejection is part of our learning journey, and I am glad she experienced this much earlier in life. I used this trigger as motivation whenever I lacked energy and conviction to keep going.

What was the micro-habit?

• Stop overthinking and act promptly.
• Be flexible with the goal.

How did I do an effective practice?

I did it daily and starting it in the warmer months helped eliminate excuses related to weather conditions. Once my body got used to it soreness was no longer an issue.

What was my plan?

• Mentioning the running goal to a selected group of trusted friends at the beginning. This group celebrated my milestones along the way keeping me motivated.
• Sharing the run with colleagues and friends on the running app Strava and following others who were better runners than me helped keep me in check.
• Sharing the fundraising goal with others helped me stay motivated and focused.
• Keeping the running schedule flexible helped me attend to life and work commitments.
• I aimed to run every day, but due to age factors and the need for rest, it was not possible to run at full intensity every day. I adjusted my pace to give my body a break.
• I had an injury management plan and adjusted the gaps between runs to give my body maximum recovery time.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first chapter and am looking forward to reading the next chapters. Good luck to all those who are planning to create new habits or change old habits!

Photo is courtesy of Jenny Hill on Unsplash . Thank you Jenny!