During the summer, it's easy to get distracted from your projects with vacations and holidays like the upcoming Independence Day celebrations. It's more fun to take off on a fun vacay than to work on that project for that big goal or dream.
This quote from noted author, JRR Tolkien in his book, The Fellowship of the Ring*, really got me thinking: All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.
Are you making the most of your time this summer to get more traction on your projects, goals, or dreams? If not, consider how to get in a better habit. A recent CNN article cited an interesting fact from The European Journal of Social Psychology that habits can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days to form, with an average of about 66 days.**
Try This: Create Good Habits with Daily Boldness
To get in a new groove and ensure it becomes a habit, consider this easy daily challenge. The key is to use a tool repeatedly for a set number of days such as 21 or 30, to start forming it. Start with this exercise:
- What is the key project, goal, or dream that I want to achieve that has gotten sidelined?
- What are my THREE key behaviors that will help me go boldly forward?
- ...
- ...
- ...
- How many days will I do these three behaviors for my daily challenge?
As an example, my three key behaviors are baby steps for my latest writing project. I decided to put it on my calendar every day for the entire month. After 30 days, it will give me a chance to see how effective the new habit has been in moving my project forward!
* JRR Tolkien quote https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/3204327
* European Journal of Social Psychology reference https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/16/health/brain-how-habits-form-wellness-partner/index.html