In the previous chapter, we discussed how you can build a new habit in 30 days and some of the things that you should expect as you begin the journey. Any period of 30 days where you are developing a new habit can be divided into two parts – the first five days and the remaining 25 days. That’s because the first few days are going to be just as difficult – and quite possibly more difficult – than the remaining 25 days all put together.
How this Guide Can Help You
If you are just starting on the journey to change your habits (and therefore your mindset) in just 30 days, then you are going to need a step-by-step guide that will give you advice and information for each day. Some days are going to be grueling and some days are going to be okay, but you can assume that the first five days are going to be the hardest.
That’s why we have created a guide for each of the five days that you can use when it comes time for you to start your 30 days to success. These daily guides are below. It is recommended that you do not read them in advance and that you stop reading this post at this point until you are ready to begin your 30 days of forming a new habit.
If you are ready and this is Day One for you, then let’s go ahead and get started.
Day One:
You’ve started on your journey! Congratulations are in order! Some people never make it to this very important step. You have a bit of a battle ahead of you but it will not be nearly as bad as you are imagining. In 30 days, when you are doing these habits automatically and these first few days are long behind you, you are going to laugh at how easily you were able to overcome.
The most important thing that you need to remember on day one is that you take it slow. Sure, you want to work on your habits and try to complete them if you can, but the important thing is that you try to do at least one thing from each of the habits that you are trying to form. You can work on improving a little bit each day, but it is vital to think about and take some kind of action on each habit you are working on, each and every day of the 30 day period.
If you happen to miss a day, all is not lost. You can simply do it the next day and make sure that you don’t miss again if at all possible. One or two misses may not keep you from developing your habit, but five or six just might. It will depend upon you.
Day Two:
So, you made it through day one and you did the two things that were necessary to make these habits stick – you thought about doing something with them during the day and you took some kind of action on each of them.
Now, you are going to work on them just a little bit harder on day two. For example, if your goal was to make a habit of going to the gym and working out for 30 minutes a day and you exercised for 10 minutes on day one, then on day two you are going to try to go for 15 minutes.
Whatever you did on day one, you are going to try to increase it on day two.
Day Three:
Day three is another day when you are getting used to your new habits. Don’t push yourself too hard on day three because it is this day when lots of people jump ship. Instead of trying to fulfill your goal completely on the third day, just try to do a little bit more than you did yesterday.
Again, using the gym example, if you worked out for 15 minutes on day two, then work out for 20 minutes on day three and then stop, even if you think you can go longer. If you trying for 30 and you find that you can only make it 22 minutes you are going to suffer a big disappointment – which could lead to a setback or an abandonment of your plan entirely.
Day Four:
Now, you are getting serious about your plan. Today is the day when you are going to make your first attempt at completing your habit entirely. If your goal is to work out for 30 minutes per day then you are going to do your very best to stay at the gym and being active until that 30 minutes is up.
Don’t worry if you cannot do it. This is sort of a trial run and you still have one more day to perfect your technique if you cannot make it the entire day. But if you find yourself putting off the actions that will develop your habits, sit down and remind yourself how important they are to you.
The important thing on day four is to do your very best to complete as many habits in their entirety as possible. If you can’t then you still have tomorrow, but if you can, then you’ll have a big head start on your remaining 25 days.
Day Five:
So, day five has arrived. You have been building up to this moment for the past few days and once you complete your new habits for this day you will be over the steepest part of the hill and headed for the downhill slope.
Do everything in your power to complete all of your habits all the way today.
If your goal is 30 minutes in the gym and 1000 words on your novel, make sure that you complete every minute and every word. This is the best way that you can enter the remaining 25 days of your challenge with the confidence to complete the full 30 days and learn the habits that you have decided upon.
