New Year’s Resolutions are the worst idea ever imagined. We set up grandiose goals and arbitrarily start working on them. Whether it’s getting more exercise in the dead of winter, or fixing our finances after spending a ton on presents, January 1st is not just a bad date to turn over a new leaf – it’s one of the worst dates to start new habits. But the reason that most resolutions fail isn’t a matter of timing. It’s because most of us don’t know how to start a new habit.

The science is still out on how long it takes to build a habit. Some people say 21 days, others say 66 days, other say 6 months. Really, there’s no consistent number that’s shown up in the testing. But there are some helpful tips that have come out of the research. If you want to make Notebooking into a habit, here’s the top 7 takeaways from all that study.

#1 Habits are more successful if you know WHY you’re making a change.

Somewhere in the recesses of our minds, we have an inkling of why we want to make a change. But not all reasons are equal. If you want to start Notebooking because you want to be a better writer, a better storyteller, a better conversationalist, or just remember the important memories in your life, knowing the why will help you.¹ But unless you know which of these reasons is motivating you, when you hit a wall, the wall will probably win. First step, determine what it is that’s driving you, and OWN that reason (or reasons). It will help you to keep going when the going gets tough.

#2 Tie your new habit to an old habit

It’s easier to add something to your morning (or evening) routine than it is to create a routine from scratch. The good news is that all of us already have routines. We wake up, eat, and groom ourselves. And we do it with remarkable consistency. So pick part of your daily routine that will include your new Notebooking time. It doesn’t matter if you Notebook while you’re having your morning coffee, riding on the train to work, or chilling out after dinner. As long as it’s a regular occurrence, it’ll be easier to be consistent in doing it.²

#3 Start Small

I know…we recommend Notebooking for 20 minutes a day. And that might seem like an impossible task. (It isn’t, but it might be on Day 1). It’s okay to start with only 5 minutes. Think about it. If you view 10 minutes of writing as failure, you’ll grow discouraged and quit. But if you view 10 minutes of writing as success, you’ll be excited to keep having success. The truth is, it’s less about how much time you spend, and more about spending some time at all. You can always increase your writing time once the habit has become…well…habitual.

#4 Make it Comfortable and Convenient

We tend to engage in activities we enjoy and avoid activities we don’t. Use this to your advantage! Light some incense (or a candle), curl up in a comfy chair, and use your favorite pen (or pencil). You’ll look forward to your Notebooking time because everything that goes with it is a joy. On the other hand, if Notebooking requires you to hide away in the bathroom while your children are pounding on the door begging for your attention – it’s just not going to last. As much as possible, make your environment something that enhances your writing, rather than detracting from it.

#5 Simplify Your Task!

Studies show that the more complicated a new habit is, the less likely you are to stick to it. Think about it – if you want to start eating healthier, the first step is buying healthier food. If you had to go out and buy healthy food every day (while junk food fills your cupboards), you’d never stick to it. In the same way, if you have find a place to Notebook, find a pen to Notebook with, and figure out what you’re going to write about every day, it’s going to be that much harder to keep it up. Keeping a pen handy in your Notebooking location is the easy part, but that’s why we suggest a Content List. It simplifies the task of Notebooking daily.

#6 Overcome the Resistance

Resistance is a term coined by Steven Pressfield to talk about the things that get in your way. Whether it’s lack of focus, lack of time, life emergencies, minor crises, or simply procrastination, there will always be something to stop your new habit in its tracks.³ Studies show that we really haven’t developed a habit until we’ve overcome the resistance on 5 different occasions. (The good news is that the first time is the hardest. It gets easier every time!) So push your way through the resistance. Don’t let it beat you.

And finally, #7 – Cut yourself some slack

We’re trained to think that once we’ve failed, we’re done, and all our momentum is lost. That’s not actually the case. Missing a day here or there will not derail a habit – if we don’t let it. Say you’ve chosen to Notebook during your morning coffee, and then one day you oversleep. It doesn’t matter. As long as you get back into the routine the next day, your habit won’t be undone. It’s only when we let a habit drift for several days in a row that we start to lose it⁴. Remember, it’s not how many times we fall off the horse that matters. What counts is whether we climb back on the horse!

You can do it!

Building a new habit isn’t always easy, but if you incorporate these strategies into your life, it does get a lot easier. Whether it’s eating better, spending less, or Notebooking as a regular part of your life, being intentional about your habits will make your life more fulfilling. Why wouldn’t you want to do that? Good luck!

1. If you want to start Notebooking because you spent 12 bucks on a notebook and you feel guilty, this can help too, just not nearly as much.
2. Added Bonus: Think of all the angst you will save by not spending that time on Facebook!
3. There are good reasons and bad reasons for getting distracted. The difference is that we can forgive ourselves for the good reasons instead of counting it against us. That’s fine. It’s the bad reasons that really get in our way, because they lead to us feeling like failures. But no matter the source of these distractions, if we let them beat us and destroy our new habits, the resistance will have won.
4. In truth, when that happens, we’re really building a new habit that doesn’t include the actions we want to take. As long as it doesn’t get to the point of building new, destructive habits, the existing (constructive) habit should remain)