Mastering New Habits: The Neuroscience of Track, Treat and Team Up

This is the next step after the previous article on plan, prepare and perform. Now that you’ve put these into place, let’s Track, Treat and Team Up.  Our last step is going to be Reflect, Recognize, Reframe, look out for that article next week.  This is a 3 x 3 series of steps to help find the right changes we want to make and then to get these to stick.  

Track

Tracking involves keeping an eye on your progress and being responsible for what you do. Let’s look at some tips from the latest research: Tracking helps you see how well you’re sticking to your plan and where you can improve. It lets you see how you’re doing, recognize any patterns, and find areas where you can get better. Repeating things and doing them consistently are the foundation of forming habits. Every time you do something, it reinforces that behavior. Also, keeping a steady routine helps habits become more automatic, making them a natural part of your daily life.

In addition, start your new habit in an exciting way. Choose a special time, do a little ritual, or surround yourself with colorful reminders to get started. This helps your brain recognize that it’s time to do your habit.  If a habit isn’t sticking, try changing how you start or reward yourself. Sometimes making a small change can make a big difference.

Tips for successful Tracking

Choose the Right Tools: Select tracking methods that align with your preferences and lifestyle. Whether it’s a journal, an app, or a spreadsheet, use tools that are convenient and easy to access. Write down or mark every time you complete your habit from start to finish. Seeing your progress can help strengthen the habit in your brain.

Set Regular Checkpoints: Establish consistent times to review your progress. Daily, weekly, or monthly check-ins can help you stay accountable and make adjustments as needed. Use tools to help remind you check in, such as calendar invites, automated texts or emails. 

Track Relevant Metrics: Identify key metrics that reflect your progress toward your goal. Whether it’s frequency, duration, or quality, track metrics that are meaningful and indicative of your success.  Celebrate your success when you achieve a metric.

Treat

Rewarding yourself for sticking to new habits not only feels good but also reinforces the behavior, making it more likely to stick. Enjoyment and intrinsic motivation from the habit itself can serve as powerful rewards. Additionally, recognizing the benefits and positive outcomes of your habits can further motivate you to maintain them. Treating yourself involves rewarding your commitment to your habit, acting as positive reinforcement for future behavior. Treats could be as simple as engaging in an enjoyable activity or indulging in a small reward when you reach a milestone.

Tips for successful Treating

Align Treats with Values: Choose treats that align with your values and goals. Opt for rewards that support your overall well-being and are consistent with the habits you’re trying to cultivate.

Mix it Up: Vary your treats to keep them fresh and exciting. Experiment with different rewards to prevent boredom and maintain enthusiasm for your habits.

Plan Ahead: Incorporate treats into your habit-building plan. Schedule specific rewards for achieving milestones or sticking to your habits consistently. This helps reinforce positive behavior and provides something to look forward to.

Team Up

Teaming up means getting support from others to help you keep up with your habits. This can be through having a buddy who keeps you accountable or joining a group with the same goals. Being part of a supportive community can motivate you, keep you on track, and make sticking to your habits more fun. Regularly meeting up or doing activities with a group that shares your habit goals can give you a routine that helps form the habit. Research in areas like psychology shows that having social support is really important for forming habits. 

Tips for Successful Team Ups

Establish Regular Check-Ins: Schedule regular check-in meetings or communication sessions with your accountability partner or community. These check-ins provide opportunities to discuss progress, share challenges, and offer encouragement.

Celebrate Each Other’s Successes: Celebrate not only your own successes but also the achievements of your accountability partner or community members. Acknowledging and celebrating milestones together reinforces positive behavior and motivates everyone to continue striving for success.

Stay Open-Minded: Be open to feedback and suggestions from your accountability partner or community members. Embrace different perspectives and ideas, as they can offer valuable insights and help you overcome obstacles more effectively.

In short, building a habit successfully often involves a few key steps: keeping track of your progress, rewarding yourself for small wins, and using the help and encouragement of a community. By combining these methods, the process of forming a habit becomes easier and more enjoyable, helping you stick to it in the long term.