Habit formation can be really difficult. At times, it may even seem impossible to cultivate a new one.
If you ask Google, it'll tell you that somewhere around 21-28 days should be sufficient to cultivate a new habit. However, that's not what we usually observe.
In my humble opinion, an important factor in cultivating a habit is the underlying need to develop one. And the need to cultivate a habit is more important than even the process of cultivating it.
Before you start cultivating a new habit, ask yourself why you want to do it. If the reason behind it is superficial, then it becomes more difficult to form a new habit. If you want to start exercising just because all your friends are exercising, then I'd say that's a superficial reason. May be you'll join a gym or something, but the impulse will die soon. Because you didn't find the need to continue it. It was okay if you had continued exercising. And even if you didn't continue, it didn't matter. That's why you gave up. You don't want to take up something new because your Mum, Dad, brother, sister, best friend, close friend or distant relative told you to do so.
But, on the contrary, if you have a solid reason to develop a new habit, the process becomes a shade easier. Say you just came to know that your cholesterol level is alarmingly high, which makes you more prone to a heart attack, you'll start exercising right away. And the impulse won't die.
I'll share my own example with you. I've been learning Indian classical music since I was five. I was always told by my Guru to practice daily. I did so, but often at my own convenience. I didn't practice if I didn't feel like it. Or if I had exam in school or if I had a basketball match to play the following day. When caught by my Guru, I would resume practicing. So what I was doing was only because my teacher and my parents wanted me to do. I didn't quite find the need to do it and hence, I wasn't that sincere and couldn't form a habit.
Years passed in a similar manner. And now let me tell you something that happened to me after around five years after the aforementioned incident. I used to be a good enough student and used to sing pretty well. Once when I was in the 7th grade, I had a whole lot of things on my head. My school exams, my basketball classes and a whole lot of extra exams apart from regular school exams that I had enrolled for. That was, yet again, a good enough excuse for me to not practice. Which I did for almost a month. The next time I went to class, I thought I'd be in a good enough position to sing and get through the class without my teacher noticing that I had been out of touch.
However, I was bad. Really bad. I still feel the embarrassment I went through in that particular class. I was ashamed of myself. And my teacher didn't scold me. That hit me the most.
That's when I realized why everyday practice (riyaz) is a must. I didn't want my vocal cords to rust. I didn't want to sound like a besuri ( a person who sings out of tune). I felt the need to be sincere wrt my riyaz. To be able to sing well, my voice needed riyaz. Once I realized the need of it, it made a lasting impact. I practiced without anyone coming and telling me to. I formed a habit!
I don't know how relevant you will find my example. But what I'm trying to highlight is that you must really really want to do something to achieve what you really want to achieve. You must really want to be fit and healthy in order to cultivate the habit of exercising regularly. Not because your fit friend says that exercising is good. You must really have the urge of being more productive in order to develop a habit of getting up early in the morning.
You will sustain in the process of developing a habit only if you see a benefit that your future self will reap from it. Find what it is and let it motivate you. Once you get started, tell your close friends or family what you're up to. This is because you could share your little achievements with them and it'll prove to be really motivating. In my example, it was my teacher and classmates. With practice, I obviously sang better and thus, the appreciation I received always encouraged me to keep practicing further.
Later, there will come a time when the habit would have really seeped into you. That's when you don't require any motivation at all. It'll be a well formed habit and should stick with you for the rest of your life. In my case, today I practice for my own inner happiness. Whether I receive appreciation from others doesn't matter at all.
If you ask Google, it'll tell you that somewhere around 21-28 days should be sufficient to cultivate a new habit. However, that's not what we usually observe.
In my humble opinion, an important factor in cultivating a habit is the underlying need to develop one. And the need to cultivate a habit is more important than even the process of cultivating it.
Before you start cultivating a new habit, ask yourself why you want to do it. If the reason behind it is superficial, then it becomes more difficult to form a new habit. If you want to start exercising just because all your friends are exercising, then I'd say that's a superficial reason. May be you'll join a gym or something, but the impulse will die soon. Because you didn't find the need to continue it. It was okay if you had continued exercising. And even if you didn't continue, it didn't matter. That's why you gave up. You don't want to take up something new because your Mum, Dad, brother, sister, best friend, close friend or distant relative told you to do so.
But, on the contrary, if you have a solid reason to develop a new habit, the process becomes a shade easier. Say you just came to know that your cholesterol level is alarmingly high, which makes you more prone to a heart attack, you'll start exercising right away. And the impulse won't die.
I'll share my own example with you. I've been learning Indian classical music since I was five. I was always told by my Guru to practice daily. I did so, but often at my own convenience. I didn't practice if I didn't feel like it. Or if I had exam in school or if I had a basketball match to play the following day. When caught by my Guru, I would resume practicing. So what I was doing was only because my teacher and my parents wanted me to do. I didn't quite find the need to do it and hence, I wasn't that sincere and couldn't form a habit.
Years passed in a similar manner. And now let me tell you something that happened to me after around five years after the aforementioned incident. I used to be a good enough student and used to sing pretty well. Once when I was in the 7th grade, I had a whole lot of things on my head. My school exams, my basketball classes and a whole lot of extra exams apart from regular school exams that I had enrolled for. That was, yet again, a good enough excuse for me to not practice. Which I did for almost a month. The next time I went to class, I thought I'd be in a good enough position to sing and get through the class without my teacher noticing that I had been out of touch.
However, I was bad. Really bad. I still feel the embarrassment I went through in that particular class. I was ashamed of myself. And my teacher didn't scold me. That hit me the most.
That's when I realized why everyday practice (riyaz) is a must. I didn't want my vocal cords to rust. I didn't want to sound like a besuri ( a person who sings out of tune). I felt the need to be sincere wrt my riyaz. To be able to sing well, my voice needed riyaz. Once I realized the need of it, it made a lasting impact. I practiced without anyone coming and telling me to. I formed a habit!
I don't know how relevant you will find my example. But what I'm trying to highlight is that you must really really want to do something to achieve what you really want to achieve. You must really want to be fit and healthy in order to cultivate the habit of exercising regularly. Not because your fit friend says that exercising is good. You must really have the urge of being more productive in order to develop a habit of getting up early in the morning.
You will sustain in the process of developing a habit only if you see a benefit that your future self will reap from it. Find what it is and let it motivate you. Once you get started, tell your close friends or family what you're up to. This is because you could share your little achievements with them and it'll prove to be really motivating. In my example, it was my teacher and classmates. With practice, I obviously sang better and thus, the appreciation I received always encouraged me to keep practicing further.
Later, there will come a time when the habit would have really seeped into you. That's when you don't require any motivation at all. It'll be a well formed habit and should stick with you for the rest of your life. In my case, today I practice for my own inner happiness. Whether I receive appreciation from others doesn't matter at all.
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