3 Habit Building Mistakes You Need to Avoid!

Hey, let me share this cool little story with you. A while back, we had some friends over for a meal. We were all chilling outside on the patio when someone asked for ice. I went inside, grabbed some ice, and dumped it into a glass bowl.

Then Anna drops this nugget of wisdom, “you know if you line the glass bowl with foil, the ice will take longer to melt.” So, of course, I gave it a shot. I set up this makeshift ice fortress and found myself strangely fascinated by it – like my own mini-science experiment.

As we chatted, ate, and laughed, I couldn't help but keep my eyes glued to that bowl. It was oddly captivating. At first, the ice held strong, didn’t budge. I got so absorbed that time slipped away, and suddenly, I saw the remaining ice slowly giving in. It melted bit by bit until it all turned into liquid.

Funny thing is, real progress is a lot like that ice experiment on my patio. It takes time, and sometimes it can take a little longer to get to 32 F degrees (melting point of ice). Right now, you could be at 31 F degrees and if you give up, you were just one degree away from seeing real progress. Life, huh?

I’m sharing what I learned from James Clear Atomic Habits book.

The Number 1 mistake that most people make when building habits is that they give up too fast.

You go to the gym for 3 days and see no results so you stop going.

You start eating healthy for 3 days but still feel bloated so you stop eating healthy.

You start learning a new skill for 3 days and you don’t master it immediately so you stop learning altogether.

Building healthy habits takes time and each little action you take compounds. So the next time you decide to build a new habit, be aware that small changes will add up to big results and keep doing them because just before you know it the ice will begin to melt.

The second mistake most people make is setting unrealistic goals. We all have seen the luring blog posts about “How to lose 10 lbs in 10 days.” First of all, this is unhealthy. Secondly, it's unrealistic unless you plan to starve yourself (no thanks). When you set overly ambitious or unattainable health goals, it can lead to frustration and burnout. Instead, setting small, achievable milestones creates a sustainable path to success.

The third mistake most people make is ignoring consistency. Yes small steps will lead to progress but those small steps need to happen consistently.

If you start journaling, and only journal for two days then skip a whole week, then start again - you won’t gain the momentum you need to propel you forward.

It’s like you’re starting and restarting all over again. Similar to hitting the restart button on your computer. Don’t underestimate the importance of daily commitment. Skipping days or being inconsistent can delay (or even stop) progress and hinder habit formation.

So now you know! Avoid these 3 common mistakes and start your journey towards building healthy habits. Small steps everyday! 1% better each day.

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