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Let’s face it; we all have habits we’d like to change, and more importantly, we all have new habits we’d like to cultivate. But creating a new habit isn’t as easy as flipping a switch. It requires strategy, consistency, and a clear understanding of why you’re doing it. As a ministry leader, my journey has been sprinkled with the struggles and triumphs of habit-building. In this post, I want to discuss five steps to crafting a new effective habit I’ve learned from The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier. He says that to begin a new habit, you need to grasp five essential components: a reason, a trigger, a micro-habit, effective practice, and a plan.

Identify Your "Why"

First and foremost, you need to have a compelling reason to change. This is your ‘why,’ your driving force. Your reason should be powerful enough to pull you through, even when motivation is low. Why do you want to cultivate this new habit? What benefits will it bring into your life? Will it draw you closer to your goals, make you healthier, or boost your productivity?

“If we want to feel an undying passion for our work, if we want to feel we are contributing to something bigger than ourselves, we all need to know our WHY.” ― Simon Sinek, Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team

Spot the Trigger

Next, identify the trigger. This is the moment when you could either resort to an old habit or embark on a path less trodden. According to Charles Duhigg, there are five types of triggers: location, time, emotional state, other people, and the immediately preceding action. The more specific your trigger is, the more likely you are to catch it and make a conscious choice.

For example, Bungay Stanier says, “When I’m feeling overwhelmed (emotional state) in my daily morning meeting (time) with my team (people), I usually resort to over-explaining (old habit).”

A habit I have changed by spotting the trigger is repeating myself when I am in a stressful situation. I may be giving away some of my interpersonal secrets here, but this is what I (try) to do when I am triggered in these situations.

When I am in a moment of confrontation, I can feel very stressed. I am sure you know the feeling! When this happens I will try to say the point I want to make in a different way so that I can know I am being heard. When that does work, I can sometimes overly repeat myself. I have learned that this extra effort is pointless because it is usually an emotional barrier, not an intellectual one, that keeps people from hearing something that confronts their previously held beliefs. Solution? State it once and work with whatever room someone gives me. I cannot steal influence from people. I must earn it through trust, not badgering them.

Establish a Micro-Habit

Now, define your micro-habit - a behavior that will replace the old habit and should take sixty seconds or less to perform. The beauty of micro-habits is that they’re small, easy, and less intimidating, which makes them more likely to stick.

Continuing from the example above, your micro-habit could be, “I will ask my team, ‘What do you think we should do?’”

I have become obsessed with micro habits after reading the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. It has become a fun and refreshing strategy for me since I am historically overly ambitious with my goals and expectations for myself.

Practice Effectively

To make this new habit stick, you’ll need to practice it effectively. Consistency is crucial here. You might not get it perfect every time, and that’s ok. Progress is not about perfection but about making small steps toward your goal each day.

Missing a new habit one day is ok! Let’s just not make missing the new routine.

Formulate a Plan

Finally, you need a plan, a roadmap that outlines your strategy. A well-crafted plan will keep you focused, motivated, and on track. It can also be a helpful tool to measure your progress over time.

I was making terrible grades in college until I learned the power of schedule blocking. I blocked out time at the beginning of the week for studying so I knew what I could commit to and what I couldn’t. I stuck to my schedule blocks for homework, even though it was not an actual scheduled meeting. The result? Over the following three semesters, I made all A’s and two B’s. Move your habit from an idea to a plan by putting it on paper.

Remember, your goal isn’t just to build a new habit. Your goal is to create a lifestyle that empowers you, nourishes you, and helps you become the best version of yourself. And with the right tools and mindset, you can craft powerful new habits that will propel you towards that goal. So, take that brave step, and embrace the joy of cultivating your new habit.

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