The Best Habit Hack When Motivation Fails You
It’s officially March, and if you've already had one of those “mirror reflection” heart-to-hearts about yet another year of failed New Year’s resolutions, I want to encourage you today with a little life hack that’ll help you get back on track. No, it’s not too late! You’ve still got three-quarters of 2025 to go, and with a bit of intentionality, we’re gonna crush those goals together.
Before I jump into the tip, let’s take a quick trip down memory lane to Kindergarten. Think back to those early days of being introduced to a new schedule and a bunch of new rules. It was HARD, right?! But that’s where the magic of a Kindergarten teacher like mine, Mrs. Dwyer, comes in.
Mrs. Dwyer had some pretty genius tactics to keep us crazies in line. One of my favorites? The talking box. If you talked too much, your name went on the board—yikes. Let’s just say I was a frequent flyer on that one. But my ultimate favorite was the never-forgettable smiley face sticker chart.
At the end of the day, if we followed instructions and stayed on task, we earned a sticker. And let me tell you… those stickers? They were everything to five-year-old me. It was simple, but it worked, and it made me want to do my best every single day.
So, how does this translate to adult Caroline (and you) all these years later? Pssst… I’m still using my sticker chart. Yes, you read that right.
Now, I know what you’re probably thinking: “Wait, isn’t that a bit juvenile?” Only if you want it to be. But hear me out—there’s real psychology behind reward systems, and this actually works wonders for adults too! You’d be amazed at how much more successful we are at sticking to a habit when we get to reward ourselves daily for our efforts.
Do I have you sold yet? Good, now here’s what you’re going to do… head to Hobby Lobby (or wherever you like to get crafty) and pick out a set of stickers that make you smile. Next, print out a free monthly calendar for the rest of the year. Finally, decide what goals you are going to track (whether that’s exercising, hitting your protein goal, journaling, etc.), and get to stacking those wins!
Every day that you successfully accomplish one of your goals, give yourself a sticker. I personally have mine hanging right next to my bed, and this is the last thing I do before I go to sleep.
Trust me, the act of seeing those little rewards pile up will give you a sense of accomplishment and keep you motivated long after you set these goals. It’s seriously amazing how much those little stickers can push you to keep going.
If you try this hack, let me know how it goes! Drop a comment with your favorite habit tracking tools, or share if you’re feeling the sticker magic. Let’s keep this momentum going and make 2025 the year we finally accomplish those goals, one sticker at a time.
— CAROLINE