How To Get Over That First Hurdle When Starting A New Habit

Avoiding the old and familiar is crucial.

A field full of long, spindly grass blocks your path. You could force your way through, but it’s a big field, and the grass is over six feet high. You’re keen to get to the other side, however, so you give it a go.

Twenty minutes pass, but it’s hard work, and you don’t make much progress. You push for another twenty minutes before giving up, blaming your lack of motivation, and your inability to see things through to the end.

Feeling useless, you begin to question why you even tried, when suddenly, you spot a pathway that’s already cleared. You’re not sure where it goes, but it feels like your best option. You take the easy path, but before long, you realise it was a loop, and you find yourself back where you started.

There is good news, however. Once you make a start and begin clearing a new pathway, positive habits are just as hard to change.

Here are 4 simples tips to help you to get over that first hurdle when starting a new habit:

As the saying goes, if you sit in a barber shop for long enough, you’ll end up getting a haircut. You cannot underestimate the importance of your environment when trying to create a new habit.

This doesn’t need to be complicated. If you want to eat healthily, don’t put junk food in your fridge. If you want to reduce your phone usage, don’t leave it lying around. If you want to start reading regularly, leave a book on your pillow for when you go to bed. You can also use technology to set positive habit cues for…

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