Let’s Talk About Keystone Habits

When asked what they want to accomplish in the next year, most people reply with big goals. Maybe they want to lose 30 pounds or earn a promotion at work. These types of larger or longer-term goals take time and can feel out-of-reach from the outset. Getting from where you are today to where you would like to be becomes easier with the introduction of keystone habits.

What are Keystone Habits?

A keystone habit is a small change in your routine that spills over into other aspects of your life like ripples in a pond. Take exercise as an example. Making exercise a regular part of your day is a great habit on its own. It helps build muscles, burn calories, and keep you healthier. However, regular exercise also has some side bonuses. Studies show that exercise increases the desire to make other positive changes, such as smoking less, being more productive, making healthy food choices, and spending less. These additional positive changes are what makes exercise a keystone habit.

Why Keystone Habits are Important

Keystone habits help fill in the space between you and the big goals you’d like to achieve. Adding habits to your life that naturally lead to positive changes helps to make the journey to your larger goals easier and more productive. Take losing weight as an example. You could use willpower alone to count calories and eat less, but for many people this quickly becomes overwhelming and discouraging. Instead, using exercise as a keystone habit will naturally lead to eating less, helping you lose weight without as much thought or frustration.

Making the Most of Keystone Habits

Harnessing the power of keystone habits begins with understanding your goals and recognizing which small changes can help you move closer to them. Exercise is a great keystone habit for weight loss, but you might also wish to consider keeping a food journal or eating all of your meals sitting down at the table. Both of these habits help you become more aware of what you are consuming, which can help curb overeating.

Higher productivity is another common goal that can be achieved through keystone habits. Did you know that making the bed every morning is associated with higher productivity and happiness levels? Positive thinking is another great habit: when you practice a positive mindset your mood and outlook slowly changes, giving you the energy and desire to engage in other behaviors that improve your life and productivity.

Identifying keystone habits that will help you reach your goals is not always straightforward, but working with a chiropractor can help. Chiropractic care focuses on treating each patient as a whole, which includes assisting in identifying habits that lead to higher levels of health and happiness. Your chiropractor will spend time with you identifying areas where keystone habits might make a difference as well as provide advice on how best to implement these small changes.

A little change can make a big difference. Work a new keystone habit into your life to make reaching your next goal simpler and more rewarding.