Are you one of the many people that look forward to the “January reset” when it comes to starting (or restarting) a healthy habit? You’re not alone! Most people that make a New Year’s resolution focus on habits to improve their health. To make a new healthy habit stick, you first have to create a goal and reach it. Here are some tips to help you set goals, create a plan for success and make your new healthy habits a part of your daily routine.
Set Your Goals with a Timeframe
Set a timeframe to complete your goals—such as three months, six months, or the end of the year. This way, you have time to see if you’ve reached your goal and either set a new goal or make changes to the previous one.
Make Your Goals Specific
Be specific about “what” you want to do. If your goal is vague, it will be hard to know if you’ve reached it. For example, “I want to lose weight,” is hard to measure but “I want to lose 3 pounds,” is specific. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- I will have non-starchy vegetables fill half of my plate every meal.
- I will set aside 20 minutes each day for a self-care activity (such as reading, journaling, meditation/prayer, yoga, and spending time in nature).
- I will walk 30 minutes each morning.
- I will only have water or zero-calorie beverages and drink water every day.
- I will eat meals without looking at my phone or TV so I can focus on what I eat and who I am with.
- I will get up every 30 minutes during the day to break up the amount of time sitting or lying down.
More Tips for Success
After you decide what your goal will be and when you want to reach it, try these strategies to make the habit more likely to stick:
- Track your progress: Use a calendar or journal to write down what you did that day and any changes you want to make.
- Seek support from others: Share your goals with family and friends so they can cheer you on (or join you!).
- Reward milestones: Set small goals and reward yourself for meeting them!
- Give yourself grace: Nobody is perfect! If you miss a daily goal, don’t beat yourself up and instead focus on reaching the next day’s success.
It Takes Time
Making new habits stick into your daily routine takes about two months. As you take steps to build new habits, you may need to change your plan—and that is ok! Your is to make healthy changes in your daily life that make an impact on how you feel.
