You don’t have to wait until the new year to start setting a couple of new goals or develop a new positive habit.
Here are some ideas to help you out:
1. For any healthy habits to stick, you need to figure out your “WHY” for making positive change.
Ask yourself WHY you want to build a new healthy habit or change a bad one. Write it down. And hang it up somewhere you can see it every day.
2. RECRUIT ALLIES: find a friend or group of friends to build the habits with you.
Studies show that people with weight loss goals that start them with a friend or group are 70% more likely to follow through than if they did it alone.
*Remember, those first few weeks are the toughest, which means they’ll require the most effort to get started.*
3. Never miss TWO in a row!
What happens if you miss a day? Who cares! One day won’t ruin you – but two days often times will-because 2 becomes 30 in the blink of an eye.
As pointed out in a research summary: “Missing the occasional opportunity to perform the behavior did not seriously impair the habit formation process: automaticity gains soon resumed after one missed performance.” But, more than one missed opportunity and things start to go downhill…..
4) DON’T PICK HABITS YOU HATE
“Hey Sally, I know I should run so I’m trying to build a running habit even though I hate running.” STOP! You can get the same results with a different habit, such as dancing or swimming. Pick a habit that isn’t miserable for you and you’re more likely to follow through on it.
*At the same time, there are tons of success stories from people who went from hating exercise to loving how it feels. It’s because they made the habit part of a bigger picture: “I am exercising at the gym because I am building a kick-ass body so I can start dating again!” It’s because they had a BIG enough why to overcome their initial dislike of exercise until they learned to love how exercise made them feel.
5) TRY TEMPTATION BUNDLING
Consider combining a habit you dislike with something you LOVE, and you’ll be more likely to build the habit. For example, allow yourself an hour of watching Netflix, but ONLY while you’re on the Elliptical. This is called “temptation bundling” and can be a powerful tool for positive change.
What temptation bundling does:
It reduces the amount of time that you devote to temptations. After all, you’re limiting the situations in which you’ll allow yourself to engage in the temptation.
It increases the likelihood that you’ll engage in desired behavior. That is, it makes it easier for you to adopt positive habits.
READY TO BUILD A NEW HEALTHY HABIT?
Start small: 1-2 habits to begin. For example, if you want to start exercising: instead of setting a goal to do it every day, start off with 2 days a week of 15-20 minutes and then slowly add on when you are ready. Or if you want to eat healthier: start off by cooking one healthy meal per week and then add another meal the next week.
REACH OUT TO ME HERE IF YOU’D LIKE SOME HELP!