How to stick to new habits?

 

Setting goals is an essential part of being a healthy and successful adult. But I am pretty sure it is easier said than done.

 

However, I read an article that taught me the key elements needed to reach any health or life goal. I genuinely believe we all can achieve any goal we set our minds to if we know what we’re working towards and have outlined a plan to get there.

 

First, we need to know our actual goals and delineate them from the action steps required to achieve them. This is important because if your resolution is only a bare-naked action step without any context to it, it’s much less likely you will stick with it. Let’s take an example: “My goal is to save 25% on groceries this year.” A goal that sticks because it’s meaningful and has clear context would sound more like this: “My goal is to invest $2,000 more into my retirement this year. To do this, I will cut my grocery budget by 25%.” The goal is a more significant, targeted objective. The new habit you are forming is the action step to allow you to achieve the objective.

 

The second step is to make sure that the goal is objectively measurable. “I want to lose weight” is not helpful. “I want to lose 20lbs by April of 2020” is clear and quantifiable.

 

Third, to take enough action steps to get you to the goal, you almost always need to create and maintain new habits. A habit is simply an action step made habitual or routine. But turning action into a habit is super hard for everyone. That’s why you need to be motivated. Motivation gives you the inner drive that propels you towards something even when it’s complicated. Why did you set this goal for yourself? “I want to lose weight because….”. “I want to save money for retirement because…”

 

And finally, be kind and patient with yourself when life knocks you off your feet. When you fall and hit rock bottom, the only direction to go is up!

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