Forming new habits can be challenging, but the real test comes when it’s time to maintain them. Many people find initial success when starting a new routine, only to fall back into old patterns after a few weeks or months. The key to lasting change is not just in forming the habit, but in sustaining it over the long term. In this blog, we’ll explore strategies for keeping your habits from Darren Hardy’s The Compound Effect and other influential sources. You’ll learn how to set yourself up for success, stay motivated, and integrate accountability into your routine. I’ll share personal insights and provide actionable steps, along with motivational quotes to keep you inspired throughout your journey.
Introduction: Why Keeping Habits is the Hard Part
Starting a new habit feels empowering. Whether you’re committed to exercising, eating healthier, or improving your time management, the initial motivation gives you a surge of energy. But as the days go on, the initial excitement wears off, and old habits start creeping back in. This is the point where many people struggle and ultimately give up.
From my own experience, I’ve learned that keeping habits is often more difficult than forming them. The daily grind of sticking to a routine can become monotonous, and without the right strategies in place, it’s easy to fall back into old ways. But here’s the good news: with the right approach, you can keep your habits and turn them into long-lasting, automatic behaviors that lead to success. Let’s dive into how.
Setting Yourself Up for Success
One of the core principles from The Compound Effect is the idea of setting yourself up for success from the beginning. If you make it easy to maintain your new habit, you’ll be far more likely to stick with it. A simple but effective strategy is to control your environment.
For example, if you want to eat healthier, make sure healthy snacks are readily available. Stock your kitchen with fruits, vegetables, and nutritious foods so that when hunger strikes, you’re not tempted to grab unhealthy snacks. The same concept applies to other habits. If you want to exercise regularly, keep your gym bag packed and ready to go by the door. The easier you make it to follow through with your new habit, the less resistance you’ll face.
Focus on What You Can Do, Not What You Can’t
Another critical element to keeping your habits is maintaining a positive mindset. Instead of focusing on what you’re giving up or feeling deprived, shift your attention to the new things you’re bringing into your life. For example, if you’re trying to reduce your sugar intake, don’t dwell on the treats you’re avoiding. Instead, focus on the new, healthier foods you’re adding to your diet that will make you feel better and more energized.
“It’s not about having less, it’s about making space for more of what matters.” —Anonymous
This mindset shift can make a huge difference in your ability to stick with a habit. Rather than seeing the change as a loss, you start seeing it as a gain—a key factor in maintaining long-term motivation.
Accountability: The Key to Consistency
One of the most effective ways to cement a new habit is through external accountability. Having people who hold you accountable can be the difference between success and failure. Whether it’s a friend, mentor, or group, having someone check in on your progress ensures that you stay on track.
From my experience, I’ve found that a lack of accountability can often stem from a lack of integrity. If you say you’ll do something but don’t follow through, it can damage your trust in yourself, not to mention your relationships with others. For me, this realization became a turning point in maintaining my habits. Knowing that my actions had an impact on myself and others gave me the extra push to follow through, even on the days when I didn’t feel like it.
Integrated Accountability
Taking accountability a step further, finding a partner who is on the same journey as you can significantly boost your chances of success. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, improve your fitness, or grow in your career, having someone alongside you can make all the difference. Not only does this provide additional accountability, but it also gives you a support system to share your struggles and victories with.
I’ve seen the power of integrated accountability firsthand. When I committed to a new workout routine, having a friend who shared the same goal made all the difference. On days when I didn’t feel like showing up, knowing that they were counting on me kept me accountable. We motivated each other to push harder, and the shared journey made the process more enjoyable.
Friendly Competition
Another effective strategy to keep your habits going is to create a little friendly competition. Competition can add a fun, motivating element to habit formation. Whether it’s seeing who can stick to their goal the longest or who can improve the fastest, healthy competition can increase your engagement and commitment to the habit.
For example, you and your accountability partner can set small, achievable goals each week and reward the person who meets their goals with a fun prize or bragging rights. The competitive spirit can drive both of you to stick to your habits and push harder than you would alone.
Making Habits Enjoyable
One mistake people often make when forming habits is thinking it has to be a grind. While discipline and consistency are crucial, instilling new habits doesn’t have to be drudgery. Finding ways to make the process enjoyable will increase your chances of success.
From my own experience, I’ve learned to attach small rewards to new habits to make the process more fun. For instance, after completing a difficult task, I’ll reward myself with something I enjoy, like watching a show or taking a relaxing walk. These small rewards help me stay motivated, especially on tough days.
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” —Robert Collier
Celebrating your wins along the way, no matter how small, is a great way to keep yourself engaged. Whether it’s hitting a milestone in your fitness journey or completing a week of healthy eating, take time to acknowledge your progress. Positive reinforcement helps solidify the habit, making it more likely to stick over time.
Building a System for Long-Term Success
Maintaining a habit is about building a system that supports it over the long term. James Clear, in Atomic Habits, emphasizes that habits are formed by setting clear cues, routines, and rewards. This is a concept also explored in The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.
- Cue: A trigger that signals when to begin the habit.
- Routine: The action you want to turn into a habit.
- Reward: A positive outcome that reinforces the habit.
For example, if your goal is to run every morning, the cue could be placing your running shoes by the door the night before. The routine is going for a run, and the reward could be a refreshing smoothie afterward. By consistently following this loop, the habit becomes ingrained, making it automatic over time.
It’s also essential to review and adjust your system as needed. Life changes, and so do your circumstances. A system that worked for you during one phase of life might not work later on. Be flexible and willing to adapt your system to fit your current situation.
Why Small Actions Lead to Big Results
In The Compound Effect, Darren Hardy explains how small actions, repeated over time, lead to big results. Habits are not about radical change; they’re about consistent, small efforts that compound into significant transformations over time.
This concept applies to nearly every area of life, whether it’s health, finance, or personal growth. The key is patience. We often expect immediate results, but true transformation happens slowly, over weeks, months, and even years. Trust in the process, and let the compound effect work its magic.
“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” —John C. Maxwell
When I first started practicing daily meditation, I didn’t notice immediate changes. But over time, the benefits compounded. I became more focused, more present, and less stressed. This taught me the power of sticking to small, consistent actions even when I couldn’t see immediate results.
Conclusion: The Journey to Keeping Your Habits
Keeping your habits for the long term requires more than just willpower. It requires setting yourself up for success, focusing on what you can gain, incorporating accountability, and finding joy in the process. By understanding the science of habit formation and applying practical strategies, you can turn new behaviors into lasting routines that shape your life for the better.
Remember, the key to success lies in consistency. It’s the small, daily actions that compound over time, creating the life you want. Stay patient, stay committed, and most importantly, enjoy the journey.
“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” —Jim Rohn
As you move forward, keep in mind that habits are not about perfection—they’re about progress. Each day is an opportunity to strengthen the habits that will lead you to success, one small step at a time.
