Forming new habits is never easy. Most of the time, we’re doing it to improve our lives. Maybe it’s exercise, eating habits, or time management. Even when you know this new habit is good for you, you might hate doing it.
The hate leads to reluctance and rebellion if we’re not careful. It’s natural to dislike something challenging or new. But if you constantly resent practicing the new habit you want to form, it will prevent you from making real progress!
Here are my top tips for overcoming these roadblocks.
7 Steps to Go from Hate to Habit
#1 – Identify and address what you dislike.
What makes this new habit so hard? Identify your frustrations and barriers. Is the commute to the gym too far? Do you find the process frustrating? Does it clash with your personality? There are countless reasons this new task can be bothersome to you. When you know what they are, you can handle them.
I guarantee there are different methods you can explore for the same habit – and they might mitigate or eliminate what’s bothering you. Sit down and make a list. Write down what you hate and ideas for how to address those obstacles.
#2 – Break it into smaller parts.
In the summer of 2017, Jeremy Evans was mauled by a grizzly bear in the Canadian wilderness. Despite the bear returning to attack multiple times, Jeremy survived but still had to make it out of the woods to find help. Reflecting on his experience, Jeremy said that one of the biggest lessons he learned was to “just make it a little bit further down the trail” rather than think about making it all the way to his truck. He would focus on the next 100 yards, the next tree, or the next marker.
While (hopefully) none of us will face that kind of dire survival situation, we can apply this lesson. If the task seems too big, make it smaller. Start with 5 minutes rather than 30. Aim for attainable goals, especially when you dislike what you’re doing.
#3 – Tie it to an existing habit.
The best way to help a new habit stick is to tie it to an existing habit. What do you already do daily? Eating a meal, brushing your teeth, checking your emails, running errands: whatever it is, place the habit you’re trying to form immediately after one of these daily tasks. It will make it fit more naturally into your existing schedule.
#4 – Mitigate obstacles you can’t control.
Sometimes, things get in our way that we can’t control. If you hit the gym after work, the chronic frustration of battling rush hour traffic might deter you. How can you change your schedule to avoid the inevitable? Go in the morning or later in the evening. Try not to convince yourself there’s only one time, place, or way to do something. If you want to find solutions, you can find them.
#5 – Give yourself time to succeed.
Forming new habits takes time. So many people let a bad day excuse them from trying. Give yourself time to succeed and for the new practice to take root. It doesn’t happen overnight. You will falter. You’ll give in to excuses. You’ll perform below your standards. All these things are natural, and they’re no excuse to quit.
If you fall off the wagon, get back on and try again.
#6 – Stop making excuses.
Excuses are especially easy to make when you don’t like doing something. They’ll have you procrastinate until your will to put the habit into practice shrivels up like a grape on the vine. Stop thinking about why now isn’t a good time. Stop listening to the voice in your head complaining about everything you don’t like about what you need to do. Just go and do it. I guarantee you’ll feel more motivated to get moving forward.
#7 – Remind yourself of the “why.”
Constantly remind yourself of why this habit is good for you. Think about how it ties into broader health, wellness, or professional goals. Make a list you can reference daily that details why the habit is worth doing. Choose reasons that matter to you. Find deep motivations that go beyond the temporary or superficial benefits.
When you have compelling reasons to do something, all the obstacles seem less insurmountable.
Ever take a task from something you hate to an essential habit? Share how you did it in the comments.