So, you're ready to make a change in your life. That change may be to be more physically active or eat healthier. First you need to take a moment and check in with your mindset, this is where change begins. Oftentimes, the thought of change appears to be daunting, but the actual habit itself isn’t that hard to do. Remind yourself of this, say “I can do this”. A positive mind is a very strong tool. Once you believe it, the actual adoption of the new habit will become easier.
Adopting a new habit, no matter what it is comes down to one thing: consistent action.
To increase your chances of sticking to your new habit it's helpful to break things down into these 6 steps:
1. Decide what your new habit will be. Get specific. Will it be working out? Eating healthier Going to bed earlier? Working less? Figure out what you want to do and WHY you want to do it. Your WHY can be a very powerful motivational tool.
2. Write down your new habit so that it is visual. You can tell yourself you are going to do something, but then you can easily talk yourself out of it. If you write it down and place it somewhere you look everyday you are more likely to follow through
3. Develop a SMART goal- one that is Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound and write it down! For example if you want to be more physically active, your SMART goal would be I will workout 3 days a week for 4 week.
4. Plan your schedule accordingly. When will you act on your new habit and implement your SMART goal? If your goal is to workout more will you do it in the morning before you start your day? Or will you go in the evening after work? Be specific, put it in your calendar. A planner can be a great tool when trying to commit to a new habit.
5. Act on your habit and perform the behavior you set out to do. Remind yourself why you are adopting this new habit and go for it. You may slip up but don't use it as an excuse to give up, just get right back on and follow through, Progress over perfection.
6. Assess your progress and redesign your habit if necessary. Check in with yourself to see how you're doing. If things are going well think about introducing a new habit. If you aren't where you want to be simply make some adjustments to help you get there.
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