What's the Secret to Changing Habits?

Most of us have a habit we’d like to change, and there’s no shortage of advice about what to try. Start small. Do it first thing in the morning. Reward yourself. Be moderate. But as we all know from tough experience, no magic, one-size-fits-all formula exists. So how can we change our habits, really?

It turns out that it’s not that hard to change your habits – if you know what to do. And here’s the secret to changing habits.

One of the biggest challenges for habit formation is to get a new habit to stick. Concerned that you might not hang on to a new habit? Consider this:

In Better Than Before, my book about habits, I identify the 21 strategies that allow us to change our habits, so that readers can find the individual strategies that will work for them. Now, 21 may sound like a big number, but it’s actually helpful to have so many to choose from, because you can use the strategies that suit you best.

To give you some ideas about how to tackle a habit, consider this popular habit: Getting more sleep. Getting enough sleep is crucial, because sleep is a Foundation habit. Also, I’ve identified the “Essential Seven,” which are the seven types of habits that people most want to foster, and “getting enough sleep” falls into Category #4, “Rest, relax, and enjoy.”

But if you’re like many people, you struggle to turn out the light. Here are some habits that will help you get the sleep you need:

One thing I’ve noticed about successful habit change? For some people, external accountability is crucial. Many find external accountability helpful, but for some people, it’s absolutely necessary, and the indispensable key to successful habit change. In my Four Tendencies framework, these people fall into the “Obliger” category. The other categories are Upholders, Questioners, and Rebels. To find out your Tendency, take this Quiz (more than 35,000 people have taken it so far).

Change is possible. When we understand our habits, we can make our lives better than before.

If you’d like to read more about habits, and how to change them, check out my book, Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives. Habit is the most fascinating subject ever. And guess what's? It's possible to change your habits--if you know how.

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Gretchen Rubin is the author of the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers, The Happiness Project and Happier at Home. Her upcoming book, Better Than Before, reveals the secret of how to change habits--really. Read more at gretchenrubin.com. Follow her here by clicking the yellow FOLLOW button, on Twitter, @gretchenrubin, on Facebook, facebook.com/GretchenRubin