The most effective way I've found to follow through on my habits is to find it absolutely necessary to do so.
There are four major factors you can use to instill this necessity.
INTERNAL FORCES
- An identity that yearns for high standards and is devoted to maintaining a high level of excellence.
- An obsession for learning and the pursuit of mastery is essential. While an identity that demands excellence requires good performance, obsession makes the process enjoyable.
EXTERNAL FORCES
- Accountability: High performers often feel compelled to excel due to a sense of responsibility towards someone or something beyond themselves.
- High performers perceive "positive" external forces, such as Deadlines, as catalysts for enhanced performance.
WHY IT MATTERS: Utilizing the Necessity Framework is extremely helpful because it provides a structured approach to maintain focus and achieve your goals.
By identifying and leveraging both internal and external forces, the framework ensures you stay committed and motivated, turning your aspirations into a necessity. These strategies can significantly enhance your performance and output, ultimately driving you towards success.
Identity
- Visualize your ideal self regularly. This helps to keep your high-standard identity at the forefront of your mind and can motivate you to maintain your habits.
- Find role models who embody your high-standard identity. Their success can inspire you to persist with your habits and achieve your own success.
- Use affirmations to reinforce your high-standard identity. Positive affirmations can help to strengthen your belief in your ability to maintain your habits.
- Create a vision board that represents your high-standard identity and the habits you want to maintain. This can serve as a constant reminder of your goals.
- Set clear and achievable goals that align with your high-standard identity. Achieving these goals can boost your self-esteem and motivate you to maintain your habits.
- Use a habit tracker to monitor your progress. It can help you gauge how much you're reinforcing your identity.
- Write a letter to your future self describing the benefits you have experienced from sticking to your habit. Open and read it during times when your motivation is low.
Obsession
- Create a learning schedule that aligns with your habits. This can instill a sense of discipline and make the process of maintaining your habits more enjoyable.
- Document your learning journey and share it with others. This can create a sense of accountability and encourage you to maintain your habits.
- Use your obsession with learning to continuously evaluate and improve your habits. This can lead to better results and higher satisfaction.
- Leverage your pursuit of mastery to become a mentor or coach to others trying to maintain similar habits. This can instill a sense of responsibility and drive you to maintain your own habits.
- Use your obsession with learning and the pursuit of mastery to cultivate a growth mindset. This can help you view challenges and setbacks as opportunities for learning and improvement, ultimately strengthening your commitment to your habits.
Accountability
- Find a community of like-minded people who also have high-standard identities. Their support can provide extra motivation to stick to your habits.
- Find an accountability partner who also wants to stick to a new habit. Commit to checking in with each other regularly about your progress.
- Join an existing group focused on your desired habit, such as a book club for reading habits or a local sports team for exercise habits.
- Publicly share your commitment to your habit. This could be on social media, a blog, or simply telling friends and family about your goal.
- Use an app or tool that allows you to track your habits and share your progress. This can create a sense of accountability.
- Create a "habit contract" that lays out the specifics of your commitment and the consequences of not following through. Share this with someone who will hold you accountable.
- Schedule regular check-ins with a mentor or coach who can provide feedback and encouragement.
- Reward yourself for sticking to your habits, but also establish a penalty if you don't follow through. Make sure this penalty is known to others to increase accountability.
Deadline
- Set up a 90-day challenge. "I will do ____ every day for 90 days."
More tomorrow,
Hunter