More Than Streaks: Embracing You in Habit Building

Habit building is complicated.

Your favorite influencer says one thing.

The influencer your best friend follows says something else.

And you want to follow something completely different.

After struggling to build “habits” by learning from YouTube influencers, all those books on habit-building, or those routine-building apps, I’ve learned that you cannot borrow someone else’s habits.

You must discover habits that make you feel at ease, habits that make you feel safe.

Or you won’t stick to them.

And if you can’t stick to them, you are much more susceptible to complete habit collapse at any point in your journey — no matter how big your streak.

That’s when you get burned out and lose all desire to install that habit. In fact, you begin hating that habit.

Ditch the Streaks, Embrace Your Flow: A Habit Guide Tailored for You

In the past few weeks, I’ve tried working on different principles that I know work for my atypical (autistic) brain.

Here are the distilled inputs from that journal entry:

1. Find the missing piece in your accountability

Action:

I changed how we keep each other on track by realizing updates aren’t enough. Now, I make sure to motivate and support my accountability partner— and I make sure to firmly — and kindly — ask for that support too. I found out that techniques like working together (bodybuilding in neurodivergent circles) might not work for everyone, especially for me with PDA (pathological demand avoidance).

Insight:

Accountability is more than just updates; it’s about motivating and supporting each other. Figuring out that certain methods, like working together, might not be the best for everyone, helps understand what really works for you.

If you need more support or a different type of support, feel free to ask for it (knowing that you might not get it — and that you will love yourself and find your way around that obstacle no matter what).

Realization:

Effective accountability is more than ritual updates; it’s about giving tailored support and understanding everyone’s unique challenges. Knowing that different techniques motivate different people — is what makes accountability partnerships better.

2. Rethink why you want to meditate

Action:

I realized meditation wasn’t my thing and having a long streak doesn’t make it feel any better. Realized that slowly getting into the meditation habit is also tough for me, so I found other activities that suit me better.

Insight:

Meditation isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and the value of habits is different for everyone. Try out things that match your unique style instead of forcing something that others claim will help you build a better ritual.

Realization:

Habit value is personal, and finding alternatives that fit my style makes rituals more meaningful. Understanding habits should resonate personally leads to better well-being.

3. Connect your morning ritual to your childhood

Action:

Solved my hygiene issue by making toothpaste visible and part of my morning ritual. Also, swapped expensive coffee with a childhood ritual of a hot water bath, which is both comforting and cheap.

Insight:

Making my hygiene products visible works to include the activity a part of my morning ritual. Bringing back childhood rituals gives a comfy and natural feel, making the habit switch easier.

Realization:

Visible cues and going back to childhood rituals are practical solutions for hygiene problems and forming new rituals. Realizing the emotional and financial perks of aligning habits with your past makes them stick.

That’s it! What did you learn from this post? Tell me in the comments!

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Navin Israni is an SEO Strategist at his full-time job so he knows a thing or two about how search engines work. He is also a B2B SaaS Freelance Writer who now wants to work on writing projects beyond just blogs. He also is open to being hired as a freelance contributor for publications in the productivity space. He can be reached at TheCreativeMastermind@gmail.com or on his LinkedIn.