Three weeks into the 12 Week Year: What a 5-point dip taught me about sticking to things
I've quit resolutions more times than I can count. Three weeks into the 12 Week Year, I'm still going, even after a dip. Here's what's working, what wobbled, and what I'm changing.
THE CAMERA COMFORT ROADMAPTHE ND BUSINESS OWNER SURVIVAL LOG
9/30/20263 min read
Three weeks into the 12 Week Year: What a 5-point dip taught me about sticking to things
I finished reading The 12 Week Year and thought, 'go on then, I'll give this a go.'
I've made New Year's resolutions for years and never once followed through. The problem wasn't willpower. The goalposts were never clear. As an autistic person, I need specific rules, clear boundaries and a proper "why" before something feels doable. The 12 Week Year has given me all three.
Why a few clear habits beat one vague goal
"I want to get healthier" sounds like a goal, but what does it actually mean? You could pick a million things: a calorie deficit, working out several times a week, 10K steps a day, drinking more water. With the 12 Week Year, I picked one health habit and stuck to it.
Same with "I want to be good on camera". That's a wish, not a plan. So I picked the habit that gets me there: talking to camera (or a mirror) every day.
Focusing on just three things at once has been a game changer.
The habit that never stuck, until now
I've tried a daily talking-to-camera habit before. It felt foreign and it never lasted. Now I pick up the camera even when I really, really don't want to. I've said exactly that on camera: "I don't want to do this, but here I am, putting in the reps."
The rule is what makes it work. It only counts if I actually talk to the camera. I once recorded for over two minutes with friends around, didn't speak to the lens, and didn't count it. I did another take. No loopholes.
The result so far:
A 20 out of 21 streak on my keystone habit
My husband told me I don't sound like a robot on camera any more
That's three weeks of reps.
The week my score dropped
Week 1: 73.68%
Week 2: 84.21%
Week 3: 78.95%
The dip came from one missed keystone habit. I spent the day helping clear out a relative's house, did far more physical work than planned, fell into bed the moment I got home and forgot to record.
I shrugged it off and carried on. I don't see it as a failure. I see it as feedback. I have a system for scheduling my social posts, but nothing in place for the days when life flattens me for the other habits. But even after the dip, I'm still above where I started at the end of week 1.
Building for the overwhelmed version of me
My fix is a minimum version of the habit:
One line to myself in the mirror, or a 10-second voice note
Anchored to something I do anyway (the bathroom mirror, straight after the loo)
A little note on the mirror as a reminder until it becomes automatic
Small enough to do when my head is gone, and it still counts.
A word of caution
"Do it even when you don't want to" is useful, but it has a dark side, especially for neurodivergent people. Burnout can arrive suddenly, for no obvious reason, and pushing yourself into it isn't discipline.
Here's how I tell the difference:
Dread, and no better afterwards: this might not be for you, or not in this form.
Reluctance beforehand, accomplished afterwards: pushing through is probably the right call.
Getting in tune with how I feel before, during and after a task helps me work out whether something is sustainable long term or just a blip. Mine feels like a blip, because I was making strides before a small setback.
What's going well
My score has not dropped below week 1 (73.68%), so I'm still moving forward
Keystone habit: 20 out of 21 days
Health habit: 12 out of 21 days. It's been the hit-and-miss one, but I've still moved more than I would have without the 12 Week Year
I can see my habits clearly, which I love
My camera confidence has grown noticeably
Try it yourself
The idea is simple: pick a few habits, work on them for 12 weeks, take a week off, then start again with new habits. Your goals can be big or small.
It's never too late to start again. I've tried and given up so many times, but this time I have a new strategy that seems to be sticking, helped by a good number of alarms nudging me to update the spreadsheet and do my habits.
If you want to film and post for your business but find it hard, I'd love to hear from you. Tell me your three habits, or just say hello:
Message me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leahbourneedits/
