Habits are the small decisions you make and actions you perform every day.

Your life today is essentially the sum of your habits.

How do you build a new habit that actually sticks?

Here is a five-step process I learned from James Clear's Atomic Habits:

1. Start Small

Start with an incredibly small habit. Make it so easy you can't say no.

People struggle to build a new habit because they think more motivation or willpower is required. Unfortunately, willpower gets fatigued throughout the day, which causes motivation to fluctuate.

Pick a habit that is easy enough that you don't need the motivation to do it.

2. 1% Progress

Increase your habit in very small ways. Success is a few simple disciplines practiced every day.

Rather than trying to do something amazing from the beginning, start small and gradually improve by 1% every day.

Gradually your willpower and motivation will increase, making it easier to stick to your habit for good.

3. Chunking

Break your habits into chunks. By improving 1% every day, your habit will increase very quickly.

Keep the habit reasonable, so that you can maintain consistency and make the behavior easy to accomplish.

4. Plan for Failure

When you slip, get back on track quickly.

Research has shown that missing your habit once, no matter when it occurs, has no measurable impact on your long-term progress.

Plan for failure by taking some time to consider what will prevent your habit from happening.

You just need to be consistent, not perfect.

5. Practice Patience

Patience is the most critical skill of all.

You can make incredible progress if you are consistent and patient with building a new habit. Patience is everything. Do things you can sustain.

Starting a new habit should feel easy, especially in the beginning. By staying consistent and increasing your habit, it will get hard enough, fast enough.

How do you build a habit that sticks? Here are 5 Steps I learned from James Clear

Habits are the small decisions you make and actions you perform every day. How do you build a new habit that actually sticks?