How to Build a Habit

Building good habits takes tremendous effort and insight. 【小题1】 Here are some research-backed steps that can set you on the path from where you are to where you want to be.

Set a specific goal

The way you define the goal you hope to turn into a habit does matter. Goals such as “meditate regularly” are too abstract, research has shown.【小题2】 Don’t say “I’ll meditate regularly.” Say, “I’ll mediate for 15 minutes each day.” Having a bite-size objective makes it easier to get started and easier to see your progress.

Create a detailed, cue-based plan

Scientists have proven that you’ll make more progress toward your goal if you decide not just what you’ll do, but when you’ll be cued to do it, as well as where you’ll do it and how you’ll get there. A plan like “I’ll study Spanish for 30 minutes, five days a week” is OK. But a detailed, cue-based plan like “Every workday after my last meeting, I’ll spend 30 minutes studying Spanish in my office” is much more likely to stick as a habit.【小题3】 Because the when and where in your plan will serve as cues to action that jog your memory.

【小题4】

When we set out to build a new habit, most of us overestimate our willpower and set a course for the most efficient path to achieving our end goal. But research has shown you’ll persist longer and ultimately achieve more if you instead focus on finding ways to make goal pursuit fun.

Foster flexibility

【小题5】 But when you’re in the start-up phase of habit building, it’s important to insert some variability deliberately into your routine. A flexible habit means you can still do what you need to even when a wrench is thrown in your first best plans— say, a traffic jam on the way to dropping the kids off at school that gets in the way of your morning meditation.

“If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed,” William McRaven told the graduating class of 2014 at the University of Texas, Austin. His point is quite universal: whether you are a sailor, a salesperson or a CEO, “if you make your bed every morning, you will have completed the first task of the day.”

Everyone must battle the desire to procrastinate (拖延), or to put off, every now and again. So here are some tips for procrastinators who wish to make their lives more efficient.

The easiest way to get things finished is to get going in the first place. The reason why busy people never stop moving is that their constant movement generates further motivation. This is, obviously, easier said than done. The more unpleasant something seems, the more you think about just how awful it is. That in turn makes you less likely to start it—and so on.

In practical terms, getting going can mean something as simple as opening an email. Two decades ago, in Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, a time-management consultant, David Allen, warned readers that ”the in-basket is a processing station, not a storage bin”. Email correspondence (通信) is the starting point of most work projects now. Just click it.

Once you have got moving, consider your waypoints (路径点). That may mean breaking a job down into smaller parts. A paper from 2005 by researchers at MIT examined how knowledge is processed. They found that the brain prefers concrete and separate tasks to broad and abstract ones. So set your sights on completing a document first, rather than starting with the goal of making a complete strategy.

Putting something off doesn’t make it go away. If employees often put off tasks and decisions, firms can suffer real material losses. So if that email arrives early in the morning, read it and reply—even if that means leaving your bed unmade.

Health is the most important thing in the world. Nothing is more important than health. If one takes away our money, houses, cars, or even our clothes we can still survive. 【小题1】 That is why we always try to eat in a healthy way and exercise regularly.

How can we keep healthy? In order to eat healthily, I usually avoid eating food high in fat, like French fries or cookies which are junk foods.【小题2】 Besides, I only eat little meat.

【小题3】 Taking exercise every day helps us build a strong body. Regular exercise is an important part of keeping us healthy. And also keeping high mood (情绪) is good for mental (精神的) health. We can renew (恢复) our spirits and release our stress by taking exercise.

What’s more, I think friends are an important part of one’s health. 【小题4】 I always feel better when I am with friends than when I am alone. When I am with my friends, I always laugh. Laughing is also an important part of health. It is good to stay with my friends.

By eating properly and exercising regularly, I can keep my body at a proper weight and keep healthy. By spending time with my friends, I can keep my mind as well as my body happy. These things sound easy to do, but not many people can manage them. 【小题5】