Now that you have a goal in mind, let's create a habit. Habits are our clear, specific, and tangible behaviors. Think of your goal in more specific terms, like the example below.

Exercise -> Run on the treadmill for 30 minutes at the gym
Drink water -> Fill a tumbler with water for the day and drink it all.
Learn Korean -> Memorize Korean words on the subway to work

Make the actionable and specific resolutions you came up with earlier more attainable. The key is to make your goals small enough that they're easy to accomplish.

Work out for 30 minutes at the gym -> Take the stairs instead of the escalator on the subway when I get home from work.
Fill a tumbler with water and drink it all -> Drink 2 glasses of water at lunch at work
Memorize Korean words on the subway on the way to work -> Watch 5 minutes of an K-Drama show on the way to work

Wait, but aren't these goals too easy?

Yes, that's right, it's not how much you do each day that matters, but how consistently you do it. Once you feel comfortable with these small habits, you can then move on to bigger goals, pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone a little further. Once again, it's not the quantity that matters, it's the feeling of accomplishment that comes from sticking with it.

So how do you know when you've formed a habit?

Research shows that it takes an average of 66 days for a behavior to become a habit. Or, it's probably safe to say that you know it's a habit when it feels like this

You don't feel resistant. Doing the behavior feels more comfortable than not doing it.
It's part of my identity. I feel confident, like, "I'm a workout person."
When I do it without thinking. When it doesn't require decision-making or my willpower, it just comes naturally.

STEP 1. Think About Your Goal

STEP 2. Set Specific Goals

STEP 3. Make Your Goal Small.

Wait, but aren't these goals too easy?

So how do you know when you've formed a habit?