How many times have you made a New Year’s Resolution only to quit the first week of January? Turning a resolution into a habit is a lot more than just promising yourself you’ll do it this year—it’s about embedding that habit into your life.
Follow these tips to turn your New Year’s Resolution into a Lifelong Habit: 1. Keep it Simple. Trying to juggle five huge lifestyle changes is not a good approach. Most people quit their resolutions because the changes they have made are too overwhelming for them to maintain. Pick one or two resolutions and focus on attaining them.
2. 21 Days to Make a Habit. We’ve all heard this piece of advice somewhere, but I’m not sure we all understand it! It means that whatever our goal, we should perform our habit daily for 21 days straight. So if your resolution is to hit the gym on a regular basis, you should aim to get to the gym every day. If you can’t actually get to the gym, complete some activity everyday that not only mimics the feeling of exercise at the gym, but also the actions of mentally and physically preparing yourself to get to the gym.
3. Stay Consistent. On top of practicing your habit for 21 days straight, the time of day, the length of time, and the circumstances under which you practice your habit should be consistent as well. You’re trying to embed this habit into your subconscious, so the more you can turn your habit into an unthinking set of movements, the more successful you will be.
4. Know the Benefits. Take the time to understand exactly why you are trying to take on this new habit. Write that list down and keep it with you. If you feel like quitting, your list is there to reinforce the reasons you are trying to change. You can also try carrying a photo of the person who best represents the values you want to mimic.
5. Replace the Feeling. Our habits are reflections of our needs. If your resolution is to stop eating unhealthy snacks, then you need to replace the need for your snack with a similarly fulfilling activity. Of course, you’ll have to think about why it is that you are eating that snack in the first place - are you eating because you are hungry, sad, happy, bored? Be honest with yourself so you can find an appropriate replacement for your need, otherwise you’ll risk falling into the same bad habits.
6. Make it Pleasurable. Your new habit can’t be a chore! If you aren’t enjoying it, how will you stick to it? Seek out ways to make your habit enjoyable. Make playlists for your trips to the gym, invite your friends over to try new Clean recipes, or invite a good friend to walk around the neighborhood with you. Anything can be made fun if you put some thought into it!
7. Persevere. No one said this was going to be easy. Don’t feel guilty if you falter along the way; associating negative feelings with your new habit won’t help! Your will to make this habit a part of your life should propel your forward. Don’t punish yourself for your mistakes. Instead visualize yourself performing your action and continue moving toward your goals.
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