Questions to ask when creating new habits

by | Accountability, Creativity, Goals, Growth, Habits, Mindset, Planning, Time, Tools

Questions to ask when creating new habits

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 51 seconds.

EntreGurus-Book-Better Than Before-Gretchen Rubin-Questions to ask when creating new habitsTODAY’S IDEA: Questions to ask when creating new habits

— From Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits–to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life by Gretchen Rubin

I’ve been immersed in reading books about productivity and habit-formation lately: the end of the year always prompts me to do that. In my reading, I came across Gretchen Rubin’s list of questions to ask when creating new habits: this is a list she came up with in her book Better Than Before to tailor new habits to our own nature and, by knowing ourselves, to make sure we give our new habits a chance to stick better.

Whether you are the kind of person who likes to build a new habit gradually—one tiny step at a time—or the kind who thrives on making major changes at once because this motivates you better, Rubin says that sometimes one single question can give us a fresh perspective on ourselves.

She wrote the following list to help us find the best way to create a new habit that will work for us according to how we spend our time, the things we value and our current habits. Hope this gives you clarity and helps you discern a few patterns so that your new habits can not only stick, but also flourish in your favor.

Here’s the list of questions:

How I Like to Spend My Time

  • At what time of day do I feel energized? When do I drag?
  • Do I like racing from one activity to another, or do I prefer unhurried transitions?
  • What activities take up my time but aren’t particularly useful or stimulating?
  • Would I like to spend more time with friends, or by myself?
  • Do I have several things on my calendar that I anticipate with pleasure?
  • What can I do for hours without feeling bored?
  • What daily or weekly activity did I do for fun when I was ten years old?

What I Value

  • What’s most satisfying to me: saving time, or money, or effort?
  • Does it bother me to act differently from other people, or do I get a charge out of it?
  • Do I spend a lot of time on something that’s important to someone else but not to me?
  • If I had $500 that I had to spend on fun, how would I spend it?
  • Do I like to listen to experts, or do I prefer to figure things out for myself?
  • Does spending money on an activity make me feel more committed to it, or less committed?
  • Would I be happy to see my children have the life I’ve had?

My Current Habits

  • Am I more likely to indulge in a bad habit in a group, or when I’m alone?
  • If I could magically, effortlessly change one habit in my life, what would it be?
  • If the people around me could change one of my habits, what would they choose?
  • Of my existing habits, which would I like to see my children adopt? Or not?

Happy thinking about your new habit creation!

ACTION

TODAY: Give the list some thought today. Set up a time in your calendar to sit down, say, over the weekend, and answer all questions.

FUTURE: Keep coming back to this list of questions every year or every time you want to create a new habit. By understanding our nature, we’ll give ourselves a better chance to create successful habits.

Know someone who is trying to create and establish a new habit? Please share with them this list of questions via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!