Do you want to build a certain habit, but are having a hard time sticking to it?
It can be hard to build a habit when what you want to achieve is something relatively abstract like “Be more positive” or “Procrastinate less.”
When it comes to changing our behavior in these ways, we need reminders and action steps in simple, bite-sized packages that we can easily remember and apply.
I learned this concept from behavioral change expert M.J. Ryan (and some of the mantras I’ll share with you are from her book Habit Changers). She shares simple statements that you can utilize to steer yourself in the direction of positive behavior change.
You can think of these as slogans, mantras, aphorisms, or simply reminders you continually recall when you’re in a situation in which you want to improve your habits.
I consider these different from affirmations. Affirmations might be used to elevate your thoughts and give you greater self-confidence or self-love, but they tend to put the focus on you and your capability.
On the other hand, these mantras are both your reminder and your instructions as you carry out the process of something.
These statements are a tool to help you reach your goals, but they’re more concrete than “I want to be less of a perfectionist” or “I need to take care of myself more.” They should inspire new behavior, new ways of thinking, and new ways of doing things.
In this article, I’m going to share a few mantras that have helped me in different situations. I suggest focusing on one mantra at a time (or creating your own!) and repeating it in your mind whenever the situation calls for it over the next week or so.
Eventually, you’ll see that these slogans become a part of you and gently guide your behavior. It’s pretty cool!
6 habit-changing mantras to guide your life:
All I need is the first action.
When you’re resisting a task, or you’re procrastinating, it’s probably because you find the size of the task too big. It can be overwhelming to tackle projects that we’re not clear on how to do.
The key is to just take the first action. Once you do that, it will be a lot easier to see what the next action should be.
I put off starting a blog for so long because it seemed like there were a thousand things I’d have to do to get started. I wanted to prepare a backlog of articles in advance so that I’d have things to post, I wanted to have a business plan all perfected, and I didn’t know the first thing about website design.
Eventually, I just had to jump in and take the first action, even though I didn’t feel “ready.”
The truth is, if you wait until you know how to do all the steps ahead of you, you might never get started.
When I tell myself “All I need is the first action,” I can usually get myself to do it, even if it’s an incredibly small step. After that, I can take the next action, then the next, then the next.
Taking care of myself is part of my job.
Too many of us put our self-care last on our never-ending to-do list, and before we know it, we’ve gotten burned out, or physically sick, or just really depressed.
Embrace the truth that taking care of yourself is part of your job – whether your job is a student, a CEO, a parent, or a solopreneur. If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to do your job in the best way you know how.
Self-care is not wasting time. It’s a necessary part of making the most of your time.
Relax, you’ve already failed at being perfect.
This one is for my perfectionists out there (imagine me raising my hand – I’m one of you).
Have you ever made a mistake before? Yes?
Okay, good. You’re no longer perfect, and you can stop trying to be. It feels good to have the pressure lifted off, huh?
When you’re feeling the stress of wanting something to be “perfect,” give yourself some love and stop worrying so much. You’ve missed the mark of perfect before, and you’re still awesome.
Go slow, don’t stop.
I see this one as more applicable to specific tasks, especially ones that seem difficult. For example, YouTuber Muchelle B uses this mantra when she does “life admin” tasks – tidying, cleaning, organizing, etc. She reminds herself to “Go slow, don’t stop,” because there’s no need for her to rush through these tasks — that would just exhaust herself early on in the process.
At the same time, if she stops, she’ll lose momentum and it will be harder to pick up the work again.
This mantra is helpful to me in certain work tasks I need to complete, especially ones that I find overwhelming. Work slowly and gently until the task is done (or until you’ve decided you’ll stop – you might set a cut-off time for yourself at say, 5:00 pm) and then rest.
Think beyond either/or.
There are always more than 2 options.
If you’re in the crossroads of a major decision, try to expand your thinking beyond “either/or.”
“Either I stay in this job I hate and be miserable, or I quit and have no money” would be classic “either/or” thinking. If you find yourself thinking this way, make a list of 7 options available to you. Some of them may be silly or unlikely to work out, but it will help your brain break out of its rigid “this-or-that” habit.
I love using this mantra in small, everyday decisions. It’s helped me to move beyond thoughts like, “Either I get up at 5:30 am and go to the gym or I sleep in and skip exercising.”
Instead, I work to find more options or some middle ground (for example, I could do a couch workout, walk around my house, or do a few push-ups).
A break from screens is a break for my mind.
One of my personal favorites – I repeat this to myself often.
When I first started working from home, I would take breaks by watching an episode of a favorite TV show, watching interesting YouTube videos, or playing around on my phone.
I eventually realized that those kinds of breaks didn’t actually provide me with rest. They kept my mind stimulated, and I would end up feeling wound up and less able to focus after my break was over.
Give your precious mind the kind of break it deserves – one away from screens.
Conclusion
Changing your habits doesn’t have to be hard – you just have to be willing to consistently guide your thoughts and behavior. These simple mantras will help you to do that without getting overhwhelmed.
Take it slowly and gently – I recommend just focusing on one mantra at a time. Spend a week or two recalling it to mind when you need it and letting it give you fresh ideas about how to change your behavior.
Repeat it until it becomes a part of you, and slowly watch yourself change into the best version of yourself!
Best of luck!
