Have you ever tried to do to many things at the same time? Ummmm, yeah. #human
Tell me, how’d it turn out? I don’t know about you…but for me it looked like this:
S T R E S S . O V E R W H E L M . F A I L U R E .
Sigh. But I have good news. There’s another way.
But before I can tell you what it is we need to get real for a hot minute. Because while this strategy is WILDLY successful, it’s also not quite as sexy as “21 days to your best body,” or whatever else is making headlines these days.
Are you ready for lasting success? Like really ready?
Ok. Here it is. I need you to S L O W D O W N .
What? Yeah, slow down. WAY down. Let me explain…
Embrace the power of 4%
Did you know in video games each level is an increase in difficulty of about 4%. What they’ve found that 4% is enough of a challenge that the player stays engaged, but not so much that they get frustrated and quit.
So, what could your 4% change be?
- If you normally drink 3 8-oz glasses of water per day that means you’re going to go from 24 ounces to 25 ounces per day.
- If you typically move for 100 minutes per week, this week aim for 104 minutes.
- If you normally get 6h of sleep per night you’re going to add another 15 minutes per night.
Does it have to be exactly 4%?
Of course not. You do you. But you get the idea. The problem most people make with habit change is large sweeping changes (multiple) all at the same time. The idea behind this approach is to make small sustainable shifts one at a time. Find the “right number” that feels like enough of a challenge to keep you engaged and inspired, but not so much that you feel like quitting. Level up your habits one level at a time!
Do-able right? Exactly the point.
Because by making things do-able you are setting things up for success. Which means you’re creating a WIN. And when you create a WIN in your habits you’re reinforcing your confidence in your capabilities (aka self-efficacy). This increased self-efficacy increases your motivation ie. when we get a win – we want more. It also reinforces the pattern we WANT in the brain. And rewiring the brain is the biggest #habithack of all!
How you can apply this:
- Choose 1 habit you can focus on THIS week.
- Determine the 4% challenge.
- Develop a strategy to make it happen (ie. how will you add that ounce of water or move 4 minutes more or get to bed 15 minutes earlier).
- Rock it….and repeat!
IMPORTANT: Only layer on a NEW habit once the first one is established or engrained. If you repeat this process week over week just imagine, with an average of one simple 4% shift each week for a year – that’s a 208% shift in your habits. I don’t know about you…but I think that adds up to #awesome
Need some support? Just ask! I’d love to chat with you and help you build your habits 4% at a time.