21 DAY CHALLENGE: HOW TO FORM A HABIT

I don’t know about you, but it seems only yesterday that we were celebrating seeing the back of 2020 in a flurry of memes and good intentions.

After the craziest year in living memory, this one was going to be different. All about living our best lives. Stepping away from the crisps/TV/laissez-faire approach to hygiene and making a triumphant comeback to feeling like an actual, real-life person again. Well, that was the plan, anyway…

In reality, there’s a lot of us out there feeling kinda flat right now. And as we come up to the halfway point of 2021, you may even find yourself in the 42% of British adults that say that the pandemic has impacted their wellbeing (Office of National Statistics). But you know what? We’re here to tell you that (despite everything) you’ve totally got it in you to get your mo’tivation – and your mojo back.

As always, MOJU’s here to help every body to shake shot up. And we’re going to show you how, in just 21 days, you can start to make some changes that may seem pretty small and unimportant at first. But in time, they’ll return some awesome results if you’re willing to stick with them.

Buckle up, buddy. We’re going to talk habits.

Whether you’ve tried and failed to spring out of bed for a daily 5k, or find yourself giving in to all those not-so-helpful behaviour patterns (Play next episode? At 1am? On a school night?? OH, GO ON THEN!) we’re all probably aware that habits can be a bit of a slippery beast.

The fact is, the easier they are, the more likely they are to stick. And with some studies claiming that said sticking point hits at around 21 days (90 days to start turning into a lifestyle change) you’ve even got a handy timeframe to help keep you on track and fully mo’tivated.

As we edge ever closer to normality, we’ve put together some tips to get you started on forming habits that’ll start every day right. A bunch of simple pointers and pick-me-ups to try out and turn into positive changes that help you smash life on the daily. Just like your morning MOJU! Well, it’s worth a shot, right?

Beethoven. Branson. Mr Motivator. Just a handful of history’s most iconic high-flyers who swear by the power of routine. There’s been plenty of research to suggest that taking the time to find what works for you can help with all kinds of things: from stress and anxiety (by being a kind of grounding predictability) to creativity and productivity (by making important tasks a habit that require zero thought.) The trick? Finding what works for you… and sticking with it.

HOW TO GET STARTED:

Build your routine plan and write it down. That visual reminder to go back to will help you make it into a habit – especially if you crack those first 21 days!

In his #1 New York Times bestseller ‘Atomic Habits’, author James Clear identifies how the regular practice of tiny, positive changes is not only easy to do, but can also be the source of incredible power. Basically, it’s like your own personal version of compound growth, where the returns are self-improvement. Of course, that’s not to say that it doesn’t take a little self-discipline to get it going. But if you can turn a massively broad goal like “Be more healthy” into “Go to bed at 10pm. Shot MOJU on the daily. One run a week.”…? Well, we know which one we’d rather do.

HOW TO GET STARTED:

Whatever the objective is, break it down into smaller goals and start from there. Tiny atomic habits are the key – the big stuff will just overwhelm you and make it much harder to get going.

Stress reduction, better sleep, happier brains, healthier bodies, that cheeky rush of endorphins… there’s so many ways that a bit of exercise can do you some good. Run, walk, swim, jump, have a little dance around the kitchen… however it is you keep your body moving, making it a habit you build into each day is sure-fire way to get your day on track and your mo’tivation levels sharp. Plus, if you decide to go al fresco, you’ve got the added benefit of a Vit D hit. Yeah, now we’re talking.

HOW TO GET STARTED:

Find your thing and have fun! Don’t try and force yourself to like something… it’ll never stick. Move your way and try and get outside for at least 15 minutes each day. Get those sunrays on your skin for added feel-goods.

Whether they’ve been cheering us up by checking in online or been shivering by our side in pub gardens: if this past year’s taught us anything, it’s that mates really are great. So why not lean on them a little when you’re trying to set yourself some goals? Whether it’s for friendly encouragement, sound advice or a well-meaning butt-kicking, recruiting your pals to keep you on track can be a great help with things like fitness habits. It's hard to stay motivated on your own – so be there to encourage each other.

HOW TO GET STARTED:

Assign yourself a workout partner or goal buddy. Maybe join a class together? Don’t be scared to share your goals – good mates will always support you and maybe even release some of that pressure.

Finally, if you want to start the day brrrrrr-illiantly, try this: an ice cold shower. Believe. With the chilly blast helping to boost alertness, increase adrenaline and work on your willpower, it’s a habit that’ll set you up for success from the moment you get up. Sure, it might take some getting used to, but try it and see. Once you’ve cracked this one, you really will feel like you can do anything. (Don’t forget to put that nice warm towel in reaching distance though… you’ll need it!)

HOW TO GET STARTED:

Start cool and work up to colder. Concentrate on your breathing to ground yourself away from the discomfort. And most importantly: persevere. It’s worth it, promise!