About half of all adults in the United States make New Year's resolutions, but less than 10 percent actually follow through on their goals each year. Do you think this year will be any different? After now living through 10 months of global pandemic worry and shutdown, it seems logical that many people may cling to old, comfortable habits in an attempt to maintain some degree of stability in uncertain times. For others, however, habit change may sound like the answer to their prayers.
Whether your health goal is to lose weight, get more exercise, optimize sleep, quit smoking, or something else entirely, it will require breaking an old habit. And you know how nasty old habits can be. 😃 Achieving new goals may first seem like an uphill Mt Everest climb, but with the right preparation and mindset, it can become a steady and smooth trail ride.
Here are a few tips that may help:
1) Start with honest self-reflection
For most people, resolutions don't work. The problem is that people's goals are more about what they dream of having rather than their mental attitude. They plan actions without a well thought out self-assessment and plan. Such as, "I'm going on "X" diet in January because I need to lose 25 pounds". Instead, people need to start with self-reflection. Ask yourself honestly, why am I not eating well in the first place? No time? Can't cook? Lazy? Not motivated? Stressed? Can't afford it? What stories are you telling yourself? What patterns are reinforcing your bad behavior choices? Once you have been honest with yourself, you can then create a plan for change.
2) Get crystal clear with your goals
Be specific and write them down. Goals without clarity are doomed to fail. Define how you want to eat and feel, the type of body you want, the amount of energy you want to have, etc. Here is an example of a vague goal, "I will exercise every week." Instead, a specific, clear goal looks like this, "I will bike or run four times a week (scheduled on my calendar), before work, for at least 30 minutes each day." The more crystal clear you are about your goals, the more likely you will follow through.
3) Create an environment for success
The next ingredient for lasting change is to restructure your environment for success. This includes both your physical and social surroundings. Is your home set up so that eating healthy is easy, or do you have a six-pack of soda in the fridge and a gallon of ice cream in the freezer? Let's face it; we all fight the gravitational pull of junk food. The best solution is to not keep it in your home or work environment where it is obvious, available, and visible. Give your pantry and fridge a makeover. Make it hard for you to access the foods that sabotage your nutrition. Do you get tempted driving by fast food every day? Take a different route to work. Do you get tempted by the unhealthy food in your office conference room? Stay out of the room and bring healthy snacks from home. You get to choose your environment. Will it support you or encourage you down the wrong path?
4) Engage with likeminded people
Your social environment is equally important. Seek out tribes that share your vision for healthily eating both in-person and online. Pair up with friends or coworkers that can socially reinforce your desired behaviors. Be intentional with your social media use and join online communities that align with your health values. It's here that you will find like-minded people who share information and videos that can teach you not just what to eat but also model what a healthy lifestyle looks like.
5) Positivity and mindfulness make a difference
The voice inside your head needs to think positive thoughts. I know, easier said than done. The truth is, the more our brains get used to negative thought patterns, the more automatic the process of thinking negatively becomes. Start with a gratitude journal and make it part of your daily routine. Daily gratitude interrupts your brain's hardwiring that gravitates towards negativity. I don't always have time to write in my journal, so I often incorporate this practice into my daily walks. I spend 15 minutes speaking gratitude out loud to myself, and the trees become my audience. Other strategies that help shift your brain's negative bias are to avoid cynical people, becoming more generous, and posting notes of encouragement for yourself in places you frequent most around the house.
6) Give yourself grace
Yes, I'm talking to all you perfectionists out there. We tend to be very hard on ourselves when we fall off our intended regimens. One day of choosing all the wrong foods or one week of missed workouts does not mean failure. It means your human. We must remind ourselves that it's not about being rigid or perfect; it's about focusing on the bigger picture. Acknowledge that you are creating a lifestyle, and the healthy habits you form will eventually change your self-image. As you start to accumulate many new small habits, they will soon turn into significant changes, and every action you take is a vote for the person you want to become.