Have you ever wanted to start doing something but a month later feel demotivated to continue? Well then you have come to the right place! Here you will find the steps needed to stop yourself from giving up.
The 4 crucial steps needed to start:
- Cue – What is your goal? This is probably the most important step, as this is where you will begin. Bear in mind that this goal has to be realistic, do not set a target where you haven’t started and already think “I’m probably not gonna achieve this”. Having a positive mindset from the beginning will drastically help.
- Craving – How do you intend to start? A cue will not be enough to get you started. A plan, an action is what will trigger you, motivate you. The emotions you feel about your goal is what will start a craving, because the outcome is too good to be true.
- Response – taking your plan into action You can do this by creating a journal where you set all your goals for the week. At the end of each week reflect, and plan for the next.
- Reward – what will motivate you to continue? Think about a want you have, what reward you dream of.
It takes 21 days to form a habit and in order to maintain it, you need to do it for at least 90 days.
Let’s take running as an example.
According to residents of Beijing running in the morning suits them best. With the humidity and the heat, mornings are a refreshment.
At first running can be hard and exhausting. When running with others, it’s hard to catch up. A great way would be to start a running group with either members of your compound or friends. As you all start running slowly, it will be easier to keep up. With each day the speed will progressively increase.
Great running locations in Beijing:
- Your compound
- Olympic park
- Beijing Historical Run
- Yuyuantan Park
- Zizhuyuan park
If you are interested in learning more about this topic “Atomic Habits” is a great book to inform you about it.
Images: Pexels
