Building a sustainable lifestyle one habit at a time
Did you make any New Year's resolutions this year? Have they been successful? By about this time of year, research shows that most New Year's resolutions have failed.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but ahabit.” –Aristotle
Just like New Year's resolutions, making sustainable choices in our lives is essentially aboutbuildinghabits.Now that we know resolutions don't work, what is an effective way to build sustainablehabitsin our lives?
Whether it's eating less animal products, being certain to recycle, biking and taking public transportation more often, remembering that reusable mug, learning to grow foodor any of the sometimes overwhelming amount of things we can do to decrease our personal carbon footprints, here are fiveways the science of creating effectivehabitscan help!
Focus on one habitat a time
—the more you exercise willpower, the more of it you have, and the "willpower muscle" gets tired throughout the day.
Creating or changing ahabitrequires willpower, so we have to ration and build what we have over time. Trying to start or change many newhabitsat the same time is like trying to do a triathlon off the couch. A training program is a better idea.
Similarly, if you're looking to make a big change, break it down into smaller steps. Trying to become vegetarian? Start with not eating meat just at breakfast. Once you've mastered that, move to lunchand supper.
Start with keystone habits
According to Charles Duhigg,, ahabitis a cognitive 'loop' that is kicked off with a trigger. After you put on your socks, you probably put on your shoes without thinking twice.
Keystonehabits, he also describes, are particularly stronghabitsthat can be triggers to keep otherhabitsgoing. Duhigg suggest we figure outwhat our keystonehabitsare and leverage them.
Environment is key
Have you noticed how it's easier to study in the library than near your bed? Setting up your environment to encourage thehabitliterally is setting yourself up for success. Whateverhabityou want to start with, think about the changes you can make to your immediate environment and the environments you can stay away from to help you.
Want to start drinking a glass of water when you wake up? Make sure to put one on the nightstand before you go to bed.
This also applies to the social environment you find yourself in—habitscan often be social, so hang out with people who havehabitsyou'd like to adopt or who will support you in building newhabitsfor yourself.
Could the young but realize how soon they will become mere walking bundles ofhabits, they would give more heed to their conduct while in the plastic state. We are spinning our own fates, good or evil, and never to be undone. Even the smallest stroke of virtue or of vice leaves its never so little scar.”–William James
Get back on the wagon
Of course we all intend not to "fall off the wagon" with a newhabit, but it happens to all of us. When you eat some bacon after resolving to eat vegetarian, remember that it's part of the process. Use it as an opportunity to troubleshoot your strategy—maybe you can make another change in your environment or you need better tools—and recommit yourself to thehabit.
Give it at least 60 days
One influential study showedit takes an average of ; that'stwo months. Plan to put in at least that amount of time and energy consciously choosing the newhabit. Stick with it. It will pay off when thehabitand its rewards becomes automatic and you don't have to think about it again.