HOW TO PREP YOUR ENVIRONMENT SO NEW HABITS STICK [+ FREE PLANNER]

Trying to make new habits stick, but you keep losing motivation to follow through?

A common reason people give up on their habits is they just hit the ground running + try to take on new behaviors without setting themselves up for success.

For example, you want to make a new habit of waking up at 6am to workout before going to work. But, you just set your alarm + hope for the best. The problem is, you still have the calm alarm tune waking you up [that you totally choose to snooze], your workout clothes are still in your drawers, your sneakers are in the car, + your living room where you workout is covered in toys + laundry.

Why does this matter? All of these little things go completely against the new habit you’re trying to create. Therefore, you need more willpower to execute the new behavior.

Instead, you need to pinpoint specific ways to change your environment so it aligns with the habits you want to create so you have more of a chance of following through!

So, today I am going to go over simple ways you can shift your environment to align with any new habit, as well as specific examples.

BONUS: I created a worksheet HERE for you to break down your own habits with ways you can change your environment so you can start creating habits that actually stick!

1| GET RID OF ITEMS THAT GO AGAINST YOUR HABIT

The first tip is one that can make a habit go down the drain real fast. You need to identify any items that go against the new behavior you’re trying to perform. Meaning, any object that will tempt you to revert back to a familiar, comfortable habit you’re trying to break. When you do this, you immediately increase the chances that you will do whatever new thing you’re trying to do, giving you a burst of motivation.

• Related: 150+ LIFE-CHANGING HEALTHY HABITS

EXAMPLE HABIT: You want to pack a healthy lunch for work 5 days a week.

ITEMS TO GET RID OF:

• Give away/throw out processed, unhealthy foods.
• Stop bringing extra cash to work that you might use to purchase foods in the cafe or on-the-go.
• Throw away restaurant menus in your kitchen or office drawers that will tempt you.

2| PURCHASE ITEMS THAT RELATE TO YOUR HABIT

Next, you want to evaluate items you might want to invest in so your habit sticks. First off, it’s exciting to get new things! So, that’s a bit of motivation right there. But, also make sure to buy things you actually LIKE, will want to use, + reflect your personality. Creating new habits should be enjoyable + should make you happy. Overall, the purpose is to get your environment organized + make the behavior easy to go through within the moment.

• Related: HOW TO BREAK UNHEALTHY HABITS FOR GOOD

EXAMPLE HABIT: You want to pack a healthy lunch for work 5 days a week.

ITEMS TO PURCHASE:

• Glass meal prep containers that are safe to heat in the microwave [with pretty colored lids!].
• A lunchbox with organized pockets + compartments for your lunch, water, + healthy snacks.
• Kitchen gadgets to make healthy dishes [spiralizer, food processor, crockpot, etc].

3| ORGANIZE ALL AREAS RELATING TO YOUR HABIT

Ok, so now you want to organize the areas relating to your habit. In general, you need to adopt an organized lifestyle if you want to create healthier habits. That means your house/apartment, backyard, cars, + office space. If the spaces around you are chaotic, expect your habit-making journey to reflect. Same goes if your environment is organized! So, take a look at your habit + identify the specific spaces that relate + how you can organize that space in ways that make the habit easier to follow through with.

• Related: HOW TO BREAK DOWN 3-6 MONTH GOALS

EXAMPLE HABIT: You want to pack a healthy lunch for work 5 days a week.

RELATED SPACES + WAYS TO ORGANIZE:

• Fridge | wipe down, throw way old food, clear organizing containers, space for healthy snacks to grab at eye-level.
• Freezer | Bins to organize food so it’s easy to see what you have.
• Cabinets | rid of unused food + containers/objects, organize drawers, space for meal prep containers, space for healthy snacks that are easy to grab, home for your lunchbox, home for your kitchen gadgets.

4| SET UP SYSTEMS THAT TRIGGER YOUR HABIT

Finally, you have to create systems that get the ball rolling when you want your habit to occur. That means knowing what the first, second, third, etc thing you will do to make sure you follow through with the new behavior. The more broken down + specific this system is, the more likely you will actually complete the habit. Ironically, you’ll need to create a habit of doing this system/routine using mini habits in order for the habit to happen. But, it works!

• Related: WHY YOU SHOULD TRACK YOUR HABITS

EXAMPLE HABIT: You want to pack a healthy lunch for work 5 days a week.

SYSTEM THAT TRIGGERS YOUR HABIT:

• Every night, put your lunchbox on the counter with your workbag + keys.
• Seeing the lunchbox will trigger you to grab your lunch out of the fridge each morning.

YOUR TURN! | READY TO PLAN YOUR ENVIRONMENT?

Download your environment planner HERE.

Follow along with the post above as you complete each box!