My Seinfeld chain for not consuming sugar

I’m going to take a wild guess here: At one point in your life you have jumped up and said to yourself: “from now on I’m going to do … forever!” Am I right?

Chances are something like this happened right after you stepped off of the scales or maybe when you extinguished a cigarette. At this point in time you are convinced and filled with a desire to make this change! Sadly that strong desire fades over time. Getting a habit to stick is not easy and quickly you realize it takes commitment, honesty and hard work.

There is no simple way to make a habit stick. You need commitment to drag you through your moments of doubt and weakness. You need honesty in order to confront yourself when you are cheating or are trying to cheat. Last but not least the hard work is a bit of no-brainer, how else are you going to commit, stay at it and be honest?

The task might seem daunting but if you have decided, and you are truly committed, then how are you going to make that fucking habit stick? (Sorry for the F word but it does help to get angry to get your motivation going. Please do get angry and do swear, it helps, really!)

One of the tips I used as a personal trainer was that your first target should be to live up to the habit consistently for 45 days. The theory is that if you keep at something consistently for 45 days it will stick. I have seen this theory turned into practice several times so I’m a believer. 45 days is all you need to (initially) aim for.

The huge caveat here is that it is very difficult to stay committed to something for 45 days and stay honest in the process. This is where my new favorite buddy comes into play: Lou Franco’s iPhone app – Habits. I covered it a little less then a month ago and not a day goes by without me checking the app.

My favorite function is the Seinfeld chaining. A Seinfeld chain is a very simple way to keep your honesty in check. All it does is create a tick box or other symbol in a calendar. If you keep up with your habit the chain gets longer, the longer the chain gets the more painful it is to break it.

So here is my tip to help you make your habits stick:

Install habits for iPhone and check the app every day.

You will be reminded of what you are trying to do every day which might just be enough to kick your butt into gear! Don’t forget to keep a constant check on your Seinfeld chains and ask yourself who you would be fooling if you say you have done something whilst you haven’t.

Turn this ridiculously simple thing into a habit and I think you are well on your way to achieve the tougher habits you aspire. That’s it, start small and work your way up. I hope it helps and please let me know any feedback you might have in the comments.