Nothing that I'm sure would "Just work" for everyone. For me a few things I do when I'm trying to build a habit, this is general to building habits and not specific to meditation.
1) Like going to the gym you need to do it on a schedule. Even if you don't feel like going to the gym just go for 5 minutes, if you don't feel it then leave.
Meditation is the same. Just do it for 5 minutes, if you aren't feeling it then stop.
2) do it every day, even if its not the same time each day, even if you get interrupted, even if you aren't feeling it, just do it. 5 minutes each day is better than not trying because you believe you are too busy. I do it first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
3) Track it to make sure you are making progress. Something about what gets measured gets done. Truer words have never been spoken.
4) Give it time, again using the gym analogy, expect it to be a good month before you start to see results. I mean you might see results earlier, but doing it for a week and getting frustrated that you aren't seeing any results is, well, silly. But I think alot of people actually make this very mistake.
You wouldn't expect to run 3 times and then run a marathon on your next outing. Meditation follows the "before you are good, you'll be very bad at it" law that most things follow.
Do it anytime you remember to. You can take one conscious breath right now. Two or twenty when you’re driving. A few more when walking.
My takeaway from meditation is that it changes my perception of me and the mind — from a thinking machine limited to and suffering of the limitations of that — to a much more expansive being for which thinking is one of many modalities, a modality occupying a tiny part of a vast, vast space.
Dwelling as this entity is infinitely more productive and joyous than dwelling in the tiny (by comparison) confines of the thinking one.
Spending more and more of the time as that is where it’s at for me.
The way? Remember that I am identified with the thinking one and use my attention to resensitize myself into the rest.
I recommend “Turning your mind into an ally.” Excellent little book.
There are apps that will count your streak. Some paid, some free. I've seen that help lots of people get consistent with it.
My own is to pick an easy time and duration to meditate for, such as every night before you get into bed for 5 minutes. I think for folks on the lazier side (like me) the habit for something like meditation should start with as much convenience as possible. That's how I started flossing every night (and started having good visits to the dentist for once).
