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for a run may seem overwhelming or exhausting just to think about before you
begin, but if you can muster up the energy to start jogging, you’ll often find that
you become more motivated to finish as you go. In other words, it’s easier to
finish the run than it was to start it in the first place.
This is basically Newton’s First Law applied to habit formation: objects in
motion tend to stay in motion. And that means getting started is the hardest
part.
I often find this to be true with my articles. Once I begin writing, it’s much
easier for me to power through and finish. However, if I’m staring at a blank
page, it can seem overwhelming and taxing to take the first step.
And this, my friends, is where Twyla Tharp’s morning ritual comes back into
the picture.
Rituals Are an On Ramp for Your Behavior
The power of a ritual, or what I like to call a pre-game routine, is that it
provides a mindless way to initiate your behavior. It makes starting your habits
easier and that means following through on a consistent basis is easier.
Habits researchers agree. Benjamin Gardner, a researcher in the Department of
Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London recently
published a paper in the Health Psychology Review that covered how we can
use habits to initiate longer, more complex routines:
A ‘habitual’ bicycle commuter, for example, may
automatically opt to use a bicycle rather than alternative