How To: Create Habits That Stick

By Sam Rigg

Everybody knows that to make a lifestyle change and become a fitter and healthier version of yourself, you have to set habits. What most people don’t know, is the science behind habits and how to make habits that stick.

Instinct trainer, Sam Rigg, explains how to create real habits that can make a real difference.

Habits are  actions that have been repeated enough times to become an automatic behaviour. Habit change is what drives you towards your goals.

Getting 1% better every day starts with slight habit changes or alterations to your current ones. These small changes may not happen overnight, however, they will provide the most powerful changes over time. 

This four-step pattern is the backbone of every habit. Your brain runs through these steps in the same order each time:

The cue triggers a craving, motivating a response, providing a reward, satisfying a craving, which ultimately becomes associated with the cue. Together, these four steps form a neurological feedback loop, called the habit loop. 

Become aware of your habit loops…

Everything we do has this scientific ‘habit loop’, it becomes that automatic we don’t notice it. Becoming aware of habit loops means we can make cues to new habits stand out, whilst also becoming aware of the habit cues of our existing habits and change them for the better…

Positive example: You walk into Fuel, this initiates the crave of eating healthy, you respond by eating a healthy meal. You’re rewarded with healthier eating. 

You then associate going to Fuel with being healthy.

We have to learn to walk before we can run…

Habits are developed by repeated automatic behaviours throughout the day. They influence our purpose, attitude, actions etc. and the main purpose of creating positive habits is to solve the problems of life through small changes everyday. 

Use small habit changes to increase exercise, improve your diet, develop better lifestyle choices, and with that, you will become physically and mentally stronger. 

Remember it’s a process not an instant fix. It takes time and it’s okay to have an off day. Use that off day as a positive motivator to fuel you for the rest of your choices. Learn from your mistakes, don’t shy away from them. Acknowledge them and try again moving forward.

If at first you don’t succeed, try try again..

Remember…

Habits take time and effort on your part to implement, be patient and kind to yourself when things don’t go to plan. Review and work forwards again.

Think of habits as small cogs contributing to the function of a much larger machine, make sure each tiny part is turning efficiently and working the right way, so that the machine functions maximally. 

If you treat your habits in this way, your results will be all the more impressive.

Check out our new class timetable and book some classes to get your good habits started!