"Yay, it’s summer!" you think to yourself. You already love it. You already enjoy it. You can already imagine two/three months of pure relaxation and emptying your mind of the chaotic business happening prior to summer.

Before you do nothing for the next couple months, though, I think you should start a new habit. Any new habit will work. I’m doing the same, too!

Why, you ask? Summer is the best season to start a new habit. At a time when priorities and tasks are at its yearly lowest, it’s good to worry less and look for ways to improve as an individual. Think of it like a software upgrade; you want the upgrade because it will improve the performance of your device, but you wait to do so until your device is idle for hours straight, and afterwards your device will perform significantly better than it previously did. Similarly, Summer is your idle time. So, why not use it to upgrade yourself--physically, mentally, or spiritually?

Ideally, the process of starting a new habit is not hard. Start doing the habit you want to form every day, and if this could be a lengthy routine, start off with a short amount of time dedicated to that habit. Scientifically, this should be done for at least 21 days to a month, and duration of the habit can be lengthened depending on your preference. After 21 days or so, Congrats! The habit you want to form will already be an integral part of your daily routine.

In reality, though, the ideal process could be a little more difficult. Sometimes laziness gets in the way or one of your summer days gets unexpectedly busy. In cases like these, it’s good to take a cheat day, but you should still maintain the 21-day habit challenge.

This summer is an especially opportune time to form one or more new habits if you’re a college-bound student like me. Starting afresh at a new environment at college is a great platform to reinvent yourself, and what’s better than having one or a few of those habits already in your routine before you go off to college? When you get to university, it really takes a lot off your plate to do this 21-day habit challenge during the summer, giving you more time to focus on schoolwork than making new habits.

As for me, I’m working on keeping myself fit. I started off at a mere 20 minutes per day, and I’m increasing my workout duration to 45 minutes to an hour. To be honest, I’m still in the early days of my 21-day habit challenge. I use the app 21Habit to keep myself committed, and so far it’s working!

What are you waiting for? Get off your bums and start a new habit! Wishing you all a happy, relaxing, and committed summer!