I've only just realised how many of my recent "projects" (for want of a better word) have involved doing something regularly: photographing everything I eat, writing more technical blog posts, writing a novel in a year. I've probably got it wrong as much as I've got it right, so here's some dos and don'ts for any of you who are struggling to get themselves to the gym as much as they'd like.

1. Do it until you forget you're doing it

Ok, this is probably the definition of a habit, but there's no surer way to know you've cracked it than if you have to make an effort to stop. When I started my little food photography experiment, I was constantly forgetting to take those pictures and ended up with a lot of photos of empty plates with captions. Yesterday, I took a picture of the same meal twice without realising: once in the kitchen, once at the table.

So that's the goal: to have your new behaviour so ingrained that you can't not do it. To walk in the direction of the gym straight from work without thinking about it, to pick up those juggling balls whenever you pass them on the table, to come up with a really good analogy whenever you need one for a blog.

2. Make it easy on yourself

I'm not talking about starting small (say, starting with 1 session a week with the aim of moving up to 4). I'm talking about removing any barriers to your new habit, and make the change in your like as simple as possible (I'm paraphrasing Tim Ferriss on this one). When I first started going to the gym, I struggled to get up earlier to go on my way to work, and going in the evening would leave me with no spare time. So I started going in the middle of the work day and all of a sudden I doubled my attendance.

3. Don't make excuses

At least never in the early stages. Don't skip a session unless the gym's burnt down. Don't miss practice unless you need to ferry a woman in labour to the hospital. If you're lax early on, it will take longer and longer to get into a rhythm.

I missed a writing session within the first three chapters of my novel. After that, being late seemed like no big deal, and all regularity went down the pan. If I'd been more serious about it in the first month, I could have finished in half the time (or had a much longer novel).

If it looks like something else in your life is going to disrupt you, juggle things about a bit, maybe don't start your new habit for a week or two until things have died down. The important thing is to make a plan you can stick to, and stick to it.

4. Tell someone

There's nothing that motivates me more than peer pressure. When I started my food photos, I was dating a charming lady who kept me honest, replacing the word "cheers" with "take a picture" whenever we got another round of drinks. When I was writing my novel, I'd have friends asking why the next chapter was taking so long.

5. Have a goal (read deadline)

You probably already have something you want to get out of your new habit, but reaching that goal "some day" isn't really going to push you hard enough. When I was 15, my Dad bought me an acoustic bass guitar and handed it to me one evening saying "learn this, we're playing in Ireland in two weeks". I've never been good at practicing instruments, but darn it, I practiced the hell out of that guitar! Ten years later, I used a similar approach to learn the ukulele.

That said, don't stop at one goal, keep making them. I didn't do this, and haven't picked up the ukulele since.

6. Have fun

If it isn't fun, you aren't going to want to do it. Make a game of it, or at least have a bit of a joke. Try to beat your previous times, write longer chapters, play harder songs. Maybe adopt your new habit with a friend. Join a club. Have a beer afterwards.

I hope this proves helpful to you aspiring gym bunnies, writers, musicians, etc. Suffice to say, the hardest thing about writing this post was not overusing the word "habit". Sounds like I'm encouraging you to start smoking or join a nunnery or something.

Happy habiting!