Momentum Issue 53: The final habit of 2021.
This week, you’ll be finding your own habit.
Specifically, your keystone habit.
The keystone habit is something we have covered before. However, I believe it is an incredibly powerful tool for making a meaningful change in our lives. Our keystone habit is also likely to change over time, meaning we need to revisit it often.
At the start of the year, mine was waking up early. Now, it’s going to the gym.
Yours might not change this much. Maybe yours has been waking up early for the last decade. But either way, it’s good to revisit this crucial habit and make sure we are on track for starting a new year.
Importance
“Improving your lifestyle and becoming the type of person who “has their act together” isn’t nearly as hard as you might think. In fact, you might need just one keystone habit before the dominoes start falling everywhere.” - James Clear
The keystone habit is the one habit that allows everything else to fall into place.
For example, when I go to the gym, I am more likely to eat well, go to bed early, and spend time rolling and stretching. I can make one simple change - go to the gym each day - and everything else will follow without much effort.
This is why keystone habits are so powerful.
They’re also a great tool to get you back on track when you’ve been slipping. They give you one small thing to focus on. But that one small thing has a huge impact.
"A keystone habit works like a net to catch you every time you fall. No matter what happens, just stick with it — and like a rubber ball, it will help you bounce back, step by step, without ever getting overwhelmed or completely falling off track." - Journal Smarter
We don’t need to do everything right in a day. We just need to do one thing right, and this will set us on a trajectory for huge success.
Implementation
You may already know what your keystone habit is.
If that’s the case, great! Otherwise, we need to do a bit of work to find it.
Consider the following questions:
“What are you doing when everything falls into place?” - James Clear
What one habit gives you a small sense of victory or a small win?
“Look for those patterns that give you numerous, small senses of victory; places where momentum can start to build.” - Charles Duhigg
What one habit provides a platform on which other habits can grow?
What one habit gives you the most energy and confidence that you can achieve anything?
Some examples of common keystone habits are:
Waking up early
Exercise
Reading
Writing
Meditation
Journaling
You want this habit to be relatively small and simple - something you can complete each day without a huge amount of effort.
Now do it! Ideally every day. If this isn’t possible, apply the Two-Day Rule, which states you must not skip a habit two days in a row. One day is okay. Your momentum will keep going. But two days is too many.
Spend some time reflecting on how you can make this easier for yourself.
Can you modify your environment, i.e., putting your gym clothes out each night?
Do you need to set an alarm to remember?
Can you tie it to something else you do daily, such as making a cup of coffee or brushing your teeth?
The Most Popular Articles of 2021
(These are all free links).
A Recent Study Has Revealed the Long-Term Impact of Drinking Coffee Every Day
The Simple 40 Minute Morning Routine That Completely Changed My Life
Thank you for reading Momentum this year! Your support has been amazing.
I look forward to bringing you even better content next year.
All the best,
Ashley