How to create Easy and Lasting Habits in Just 3 Steps

I hosted a workshop recently and most of the women had a goal on their to do list, like starting a meditation practice or journaling, but had a hard time starting or sticking to their goal.

We’ve all been there. You set a goal to meditate, you’re going strong for the first week and then your efforts start to peter off.  Life is busy! You needed your sleep. A few days later, you haven’t meditated and you’ve broken your promise to yourself. So you travel down that shame spiral beating yourself up for being worthless and undisciplined.

Oh, is that just me?

Or you’ve had a goal on your to-do list for months, or years.  You know it’s good for you, like journaling your feelings so they don’t get bottled up and explode on the starbucks barista next time he screws up your double mocha frappaccino with 2 pumps. You wanna do journal, but you never start. So what’s the hold up?

I don’t have a friendly relationship with discipline. I never have. It definitely stems from childhood, but this is for another episode. Discipline feels like punishment.

As I reparent myself and learn about my bad habits and where they come from, I am realizing I need a need to go to couple’s therapy with my relationship with discipline.

Discipline equals freedom.

Just like we all want to be happy, we all want good and healthy habits, because we know that habits lead to lasting healthy changes.

Unfortunately, most of us are not in control of our habits. Forty-fifty percent of our habits are unconscious, meaning we do them without consciously thinking of them. 

The question is, do you like that habit? Is it making you a better you?

I recently read James Clear book, Atomic Habits, and this is now on my Top 10 books to read. He gives so many great nuggets of wisdom to build healthy and lasting habits. I’m gonna share 3 that have changed my life.

Habit building is hard because you’re literally rewiring your brain. If I’m Tom, then discipline is my Jerry, and if I can befriend discipline, you can too.  Here’s how:

1. Create easy wins.
2. Design your environment to build lasting repetition.
3. Tack the new habit on to an old habit you’re already doing.

If you’re like me, sometimes the need to be perfect, or over-thinking, or over-planning, or over-researching keeps you stuck in follow through with your goals. Although doing these things can feel like you’re doing something, it just creates MOTION not ACTION. Take it from the queen of procrastination – I can research something to death!

Action creates momentum. Repeat action creates lasting habits that are automatic and feel like second nature. You can stack new habits from there.

Discipline is where it all starts.

Discipline isn’t punishment. It’s freedom and it does feel good.

How do you feel about discipline? Holler at me on the blog or insta. Hopefully this has shifted your perspective of it and inspired you to go for a habit you’ve been wanting to start. You can do this.

If you want more self love and empowerment in your life, head to my website www.audreysuttonmills.com for downloadable freebies like my 52-week self love journal and my free webinar or how to quiet your itty-bitty-shitty-committee on April 20th, which is also the day SOUL SCHOOL registration opens, my 7-week transformational course that helps you live your most expansive life and become the person you want to be through tools for deeper self-love so you embody your truth: You are enough and You Matter!

As always, thank you for being here and spending your valuable time with me. I appreciate you.