Do you have difficulty building healthy lifelong habits like eating healthy, hydrating and exercising?? Do you continue your healthy habits for a short while but then find you aren't sticking to them? Do you find you have the willpower, but it wanes after a few weeks??Then, you are back to the old habits?
Did you know that there is a proven way to help you create and maintain long-term habits?? When I learned these science-based simple principles, my entire world changed!? I know you can benefit from these, too!? So, let's dive in!
- What daily habit do you have that can act as a cue to remind you to incorporate your new healthy habit?? Perhaps you want to remember to take multivitamins each day.? Associate it with brushing your teeth since you do it every day!?
- What desire is driving your desire to sustain your new habits?? This is connected to your WHY!? Perhaps you want to start exercising or practicing yoga because you want to lose weight and increase your flexibility and balance.? Dig into your WHY! Why does working on these two issues mean so much to you? The deeper reason may be that you want to get down on the floor to play with your children or grandchildren!? Your deep WHY will be a strong motivator for you!
- Have an easy response when the cue happens.? If you want to journal in the morning, place your journal and pen on the kitchen table where you have your morning coffee!? This visual presence of the journal and pen will remind you of the habit you are incorporating into your day.
- Reward yourself to reinforce the habit!? If you are working on smoking cessation for example,?take the money you would be spending on your smoking habit each week and treat yourself to a healthy meal out or some other fun healthy treat or activity!?
- Start out small!? In my mind, this should be number one!? So many people try to change so many habits at once!? They fail because they think they have to be perfect from day one and change ten things at once!? They have a few setbacks and they throw in the towel!? Perhaps that is you in the past!? Set small goals for yourself.? You may have many things to change.? Prioritize them and tackle them a few at a time.? You may decide you want to run a 5K.? Start by committing to walking 30 minutes a day and build up consistency first before you extend your time and intensity. Give yourself grace when life gets unexpectedly in the way on any given day! Don't throw in the towel!? Get back at it the next day!? Add another easy habit change such as committing to going to bed and perhaps quietly reading at a consistent time to help you relax to sleep better!? Before you know it, you have built up consistency in both areas!
- Stay motivated by declaring your goals to others and having an accountability partner.? Studies show that people are 68% more successful in achieving their goals and maintaining their healthy habits when they have an accountability partner!? You are more likely to get out and walk if you know your accountability partner is meeting you at the corner for your daily walk.? If they don't show up, get out there and walk anyway! Learn to be accountable to your goals and yourself!
- Celebrate your success on your journey to a healthier you!? If you are working on weight loss, we like to take the focus off that number on the scale because it can fluctuate even if you are on track with your healthy habits! Celebrate the non-scale victories!? Your clothing fits better, you are losing inches, you have more energy, the afternoon brain fog is gone, and you are sleeping better!? These are all huge wins to be celebrated!
You may have heard the saying that it takes 21 days to create a habit.? That sounds so simple, doesn't it?? In reality, some healthy habits are formed and maintained easier than others.? Some take more effort!
Don't let the fear of maintaining healthy habits scare you!? Knowing these techniques and practicing consistency and progress over?perfection will help you set up lifelong habits you will never give up!?? They become part of your identity!? And, when you begin to feel amazing from the inside out, you will never want to return to the old you!? Consistency itself will become your new normal!??
Your new lifestyle will have a positive impact in all areas of your life including your career, health, friendships, and relationships with others!? Before you know it, people will be asking you what your secret to success is!? Help them in their journey and offer to be an accountability partner to them!?
What changes are you wanting to make to create your own healthy lifestyle for life??? Feel free to reach out if you'd like free mentorship in reaching your goals!? I love helping people look and feel their best and obtain success for life just as so many of us have!??
