Habits are the foundation of successful people and businesses. Oftentimes, we have a list of things that we would like to implement into our schedule, but don't have the motivation to make it happen. We are constantly disappointed when they don't seem to stick. Small steps continuously = big results when it comes to habit formation.
Here are the key principles that I have found to be effective in making habits actually happen:
Start with a very small habit: make your changes simple and short, start with practicing the new habit just 5 minutes a day, making it achievable.
When you slip or miss it: get back on track as soon as you can, try not to miss the "habit" twice.
51%: even if you don't have 100% energy to devote to the habit that day, do the 51% just to say that you got it done, this helps develop the act of the habit.
Use the visual cue: get a jar and some paperclips and put one in every day once you complete your new habit for the day, this helps with accountability and accomplishment.
Use habit stacking: "after I make my coffee, I will sit down and write for 5 minutes" - stack the new habit onto a pre-existing habit.
Use the If-Then technique to conquer chaos: "If I wake up late, I will move my writing time to my lunch break or stay 5 minutes later after work".
Simplify: simplify other areas of your life that take up brain power or drain your energy when implementing new habits into your routine, so you can devote the energy to forming these new habits.
James Clear has a great habits guide that is very thorough and helpful if you want more of the details: http://jamesclear.com/habits