To Start Doing What You Want to Do, First Do Less

The article discusses how to start and maintain healthy habits. Here are the main points:

1. **Build a habit of doing something you have no emotional investment in**: Start by doing small actions that don't require much emotional energy, like touching a wall or practicing a new skill.
2. **Reduce friction**: Eliminate distractions and create an environment conducive to your goals. For example, use an analog watch instead of your phone's stopwatch when working out.
3. **Let go of open loops**: Close unnecessary commitments and tasks that are no longer serving you. This will free up mental energy and make it easier to focus on what matters.
4. **Remember why you want to do something**: Before starting a new habit, remind yourself why you want to adopt it. Make sure it's not just because you think you should, but because you genuinely love the activity or benefit it brings.
5. **Do the work**: Change who you are by changing what you do. Each time you practice a skill, write, or exercise, you become the future self you want to be.
6. **Incorporate incremental progress**: Build up small amounts of progress each day, rather than trying to make drastic changes all at once.
7. **Take 90 days to establish a new habit**: Give yourself time to adjust and build momentum before giving up or getting discouraged.

By following these principles, you can increase your chances of starting and maintaining healthy habits that bring you fulfillment and success.
 
I'm telling ya, these tips are spot on! ๐Ÿคฉ You gotta get rid of all the extra stuff that's weighing you down, like those annoying notifications from your phone (I mean, who needs a stopwatch when you've got an actual watch, right?). And yeah, let's be real, some habits can be super boring (like touching a wall, lol). But seriously, if you're gonna start doing something new, make sure it's because you actually care about the outcome. I'm all for those incremental progress tips too - it's way more sustainable than trying to change everything at once.

By the way, 90 days is a pretty standard timeframe for forming habits now (I think some study said that), but have you heard of the "2-minute rule"? It says if something can be done in less than 2 minutes, do it immediately. Like, if you need to respond to an email or make a phone call, just do it already! Less mental energy wasted, am I right? ๐Ÿ˜Š
 
It's soooo important to start with small steps ๐Ÿ! Trying to change everything at once is just gonna lead to burnout ๐Ÿ˜ฉ. Building a habit of doing something low-key like touching a wall or practicing a new skill is the way to go. And honestly, it's all about creating an environment that supports your goals ๐Ÿ’ช - no phone distractions when working out, for example! ๐Ÿ‹๏ธโ€โ™€๏ธ It's also key to remind yourself why you're making these changes in the first place ๐Ÿ˜Š. What's the benefit or joy in it? Once you focus on that, the progress will come naturally ๐ŸŒฑ. Just don't get discouraged if it takes 90 days to really take off - consistency is key!
 
I'm not sure I totally buy into the idea of waiting 90 days to establish a new habit ๐Ÿค”. Like, what if it's something that actually makes a huge difference in my life? Can't I just get excited about it after one workout or one meal prep session? I know it sounds like a lot of people are saying this, but have you ever tried making changes and seeing how quickly the excitement wears off? It seems to me that these principles are meant for people who aren't used to taking care of themselves at all...
 
I just saw this thread and I'm like, totally intrigued! I think the part about building a habit of doing something with no emotional investment in it is so true ๐Ÿคฏ. For me, it's been trying out new recipes when cooking - doesn't have to be perfect, just fun to experiment with flavors ๐Ÿ˜Š. And yeah, using an analog watch while working out makes sense... I mean who needs the distraction of their phone during a good sweat sesh ๐Ÿ‹๏ธโ€โ™€๏ธ?
 
You know how we used to set those super strict New Year's resolutions back in the day? Like, we'd write them down on a piece of paper and stick it on the fridge? ๐Ÿ“๐Ÿ’ช Now it seems like building new habits is all about starting small, you know? Just doing something mindless at first, like touching a wall (lol), and then gradually increasing it. I kinda like that, reminds me of when we used to play video games for hours on end without any big goal in sight... just enjoying the ride ๐ŸŽฎ. And yeah, letting go of stuff that's holding you back is key. I mean, remember when we used to get so stressed out about meeting those online deadlines? ๐Ÿ˜… Now it seems like it's all about focusing on what you want and taking small steps towards it. Give me 90 days to figure it out or whatever ๐Ÿ•’๏ธ
 
I just had the craziest thought while reading this article... I was thinking about how my cat's obsession with that laser pointer is kinda like building a habit. You know, my cat just stares at it for ages, no emotional attachment or anything, just pure instinct. And when I try to take it away, they freak out. It's all about reducing friction and creating an environment conducive to the goal... or in this case, chasing a red dot ๐Ÿˆ๐Ÿ’จ
 
I think its super relatable to start with tiny actions that don't stress us out ๐Ÿค—... like I used to do when I was trying to get into running - just walking around the block a few times. And oh man, eliminating distractions is key too! ๐Ÿšซ My phone's always buzzing in my ear while I'm trying to focus on work or reading... I need to find ways to quiet it down for real ๐Ÿ˜ด.
 
Wow ๐Ÿคฏ I completely agree with the idea of starting small and eliminating distractions! Like, imagine if everyone just sat down and did a single push-up without thinking about it... it's not gonna be fun at first but trust me it gets easier ๐Ÿ’ช
 
I'm so glad we finally got to the part where it's okay to just go through the motions, aka building habits without any emotional attachment... sounds like my Monday mornings ๐Ÿคช. But seriously, who comes up with this stuff? It's not exactly rocket science - just pick something you don't hate doing and try not to be a total slacker. And honestly, using an analog watch during a workout is actually kinda genius (who needs a phone beep when you can hear the clock ticking...literally).
 
Ugh, I'm so done with all the wellness advice out there ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ. Like, who came up with the idea that we need to "build a habit" or "eliminate distractions"? Can't we just enjoy life without having to optimize every single moment? ๐Ÿ˜’ And don't even get me started on the 90-day rule... like, what if you're one of those people who takes forever to adjust to something new? ๐Ÿ™„

But, I guess what really gets my goat is that everyone's always talking about "reducing friction" and "letting go of open loops"... it's all just so... calculated ๐Ÿ˜’. Where's the room for spontaneity or mistake-making? Don't we ever get to just wing it and see where life takes us? ๐ŸŒŸ

I mean, I'm not saying these tips don't work... I guess they do... but can't we just approach life with a little more freedom and flexibility instead of trying to cram every moment into this rigid schedule? ๐Ÿค”
 
๐ŸŒฑ been thinking about this alot lately... people talk about 'starting habits' but nobody ever says how to keep them going ๐Ÿค” my guess is most people just give up after 3-4 weeks lol ๐Ÿ‘Ž what's the key to making these new habits stick? for me, it's all about reducing friction and creating an environment that supports my goals ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™‚๏ธ
 
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