What's the Hardest Thing about Maintaining a Habit?

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It's overcoming that feeling of boredom...

It's building that discipline to push yourself to do that same thing over and over and over...

Does this ring a bell to you?

Yeah, I know that feeling...

I've been there...

I'm guilty that I always create a new habit that I want to be consistent with.

And after a while...

I see myself not doing that habit anymore because it's too hard, or there was no challenge anymore.

Let's be more specific.

We all know how hard it is to start or be consistent in working out.

It's also one of my challenges!

I get excited at first...

Then do the same lifts every day...

And after quite some time of reflecting...

I push myself again to go to the gym...

And the cycle repeats again and again...

Research says that it'll take you around 66 days to build a new habit. Other people say 33 or 21 days.

But what would you exactly do to maintain that burning desire?

Next time you want to maintain a habit, you might want to stay in the zone wherein a habit is somehow easy and just within your challenge zone.

Let's call this the "Medyo mahirap na madali" zone.

This is one takeaway that I got from the book Atomic Habits.

Our human brain loves challenge, but only if it is within an optimal zone of difficulty.

When you feel that your habit is already too easy, make it more challenging to the point that it will keep you motivated, and you make mistakes to keep you working hard.

Now you might ask me...

How the heck would I do that, Jerom?

Well, these tips worked in my experience, so yeah...

First, find a way to always show up. Build that emotional muscle to do that habit until you reach the period of automaticity.

Keep going and continue to advance in small ways.

Surround yourself with people who are doing better than you when it comes to that habit.

And here's the MOST important part...

Regularly check on yourself and search for challenges that push you to your edge while doing enough progress.

If we do the same thing every day, we will get bored.

And boredom is the greatest enemy when you are already consistent with your habit.

So, always remember to stay inside that "Medyo mahirap na madali" zone of yours.

Hope this helps.

Love. Jerom