WHAT AND WHY

First, consider what habit you want to develop and why is it important to you.

Habit Implementation Intention: I will take a 30+ minute walk after dropping my kids off at school every day.

Why is it important to you to develop this habit?

I want to prioritize physical activity so that I have more energy and can better keep up with my sports-loving boys. I know from experience that when I am active in the morning, I’m more energetic and productive throughout the day. I also know that I’m more likely to be successful with my walking plans if I prioritize doing it as early as possible in the morning.

MAKE IT OBVIOUS

How will you make establishing this new habit the obvious choice? Consider habit stacking, how you can design your environment for success, etc. (example: if you want to start a daily to-do list before bed, keeping a special notepad by your bed to make your list would help remind you of your plan)

Habit stack: I will insert the new desired habit into an existing routine. After I [CURRENT HABIT: walk my kids to school], I will [NEW HABIT: take a 30+ minute walk around Central Park or my neighborhood].

I will also make a morning walk the obvious choice by setting my walking clothes out the night before so it’s easy to get ready in the morning.

MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE

How will you make your new habit attractive? (example: combine the new habit with something you enjoy; make connections with others who do this too/join an environment where your new habit is the normal behavior, etc.)

At least twice per week, I will make plans to walk with friends. This will allow me to catch up with friends in an active way and make it more likely that I will complete my walk because I know someone is counting on doing it with me.

MAKE IT EASY

How can you make your new habit as easy as possible? (example: reduce steps, set up your space to make the desired habit easier, automate where possible, etc.)

I will set up standing appointments with my friends I want to walk with so I know that every Monday I will walk with Sharon and every Friday I will walk with Corinne. I will also make sure I leave the house for school drop off with everything I need to take my walk.

MAKE IT SATISFYING

How will you make your new habit as satisfying as possible? (example: is there an immediate reward you can give yourself for completing your new habit? Can you do it with a friend or have some other accountability system in place? How does your new habit tie in with other goals to help you reach them?)

In addition to walking with friends whenever possible, I will also treat myself to a coffee on Friday whenever I complete my goal of walking at least 5 days/week.

TRACKING SUCCESS

How will you track your progress towards developing this new habit? (example: spreadsheet, calendar to cross off, take pictures each day when you complete your habit, some combination?)

I will track my progress on a spreadsheet on my phone.