Imperfection: A Balanced Approach to Habit Formation

February 6, 2024 | Supreeya S

Perfect, complete, flawless. That’s what we have in mind when we start something. Especially when we’re building new habits.

We feel failure with any diversion from the ideal.

But life is far from perfect. In real life, things happen. We have to make space for this habit to exist in the real world. In the real world, events out of our control can derail our best made plans. Work, family, sickness.

Let’s say you missed a day. Now what?

YOU CAN MISS ONCE

Skip the frustration. Missing a day is inconsequential. Research shows that it doesn’t matter in the long-run.

According to this study, missing a day of doing a habit has no effect on its formation. It also doesn’t matter whether it occurs early on or after a period of consistency. So shake it off, and find a way to course correct so you can continue on with your habit tomorrow.

So we avoid what doesn’t feel good. After all, isn’t our body supposed to lead us to what feels good? Shouldn’t we listen to our body?

We must realize that our brain and body works to keep us safe. Safe doesn’t mean growth. If you’re looking for growth, it will feel uncomfortable. Rejection creates discomfort.

BUT YOU CAN'T MISS TWICE

Make sure you don’t miss twice.

Missing more than one day establishes a pattern and it will affect your progress. A different study shows that missing more than a few days have consequential outcomes. It will lead to a lower performance in the long-run and a decreased likelihood of habit formation.

Conclusion

Although repetition is key to make a habit stick, some missed opportunities will not derail the whole process.

So know that you don’t have to be perfect. As with all things in life, you will occasionally slip up. In the pursuit of consistency, imperfection is inevitable. Promptly course correct and continue on making progress. All we can do is keep going despite the setbacks.